NHL Day 131 2013-2014

Ten games on for the last day before a two week break from the NHL. We begin early with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Calgary Flames. Reto Berra and Ray Emery handle the goaltending duties. Philadelphia got going in the second period on a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Andrej Meszaros. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone helper from Meszaros. Calgary got on the board with a Matt Stajan goal, his tenth of the campaign, via T.J. Galiardi and Joe Colborne. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Emery (32 for 33 in saves), Meszaros, and Giroux getting the three stars.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Brian Elliott are the backups in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period on a Brenden Morrow goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Derek Roy. Winnipeg tied it with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Devin Setoguchi and Zach Bogosian. The Blues retook the lead on a Roy goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Morrow and Alex Pietrangelo. The Jets tied it in the second period on another Scheifele goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Chris Thorburn. St. Louis retook the lead in the third period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Barret Jackman and Patrik Berglund. Winnipeg retied it again with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Wheeler and Tobias Enstrom. The Blues won with goals by T.J. Oshie and Tarasenko in the shootout for a 4-3 final. The three stars were Morrow, Roy, and Scheifele, while Tarasenko and Wheeler got the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Boston Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Chad Johnson are in the blue paint. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. The Bruins added on with a Chris Kelly goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of David Warsofsky and Eriksson. Boston extended the lead as Bergeron scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Brad Marchand and Dougie Hamilton. Ottawa got on the board with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Kyle Turris and Cory Conacher. The Bruins replied with a Jarome Iginla goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Torey Krug. Boston padded the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Iginla and Krejci. The Bruins struck again on a Marchand goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Reilly Smith and Bergeron. The Senators pulled back with a power play goal by Patrick Wiercioch, his sixth of the year, helped along by Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza. Boston shot back on a Soderberg goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Smith and Marchand. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bergeron, Marchand, and Soderberg, while Eriksson, Iginla, Krejci, and Smith got the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Vancouver started in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Chris Higgins and Alexander Edler. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Mason Raymond goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Nikolai Kulemin and Troy Bodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Phil Kessel goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Tyler Bozak and Tim Gleason. Toronto added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Bozak. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars being Kessel, Bernier (32 for 33 in saves), and Bozak.

Back south, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Anton Khudobin protect the nets. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Drayson Bowman goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Riley Nash and Justin Faulk. Montreal tied it on a David Desharnais his tenth of the year, via Rene Bourque and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead with a Ryan White's second of the season, with a lone assist by Andrei Markov. Montreal added on in the third period on another Desharnais goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, assisted by Gallagher and Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens extended the lead on a Brian Gionta empty net goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Brandon Prust and White. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Desharnais, White, and Price (31 for 32 in saves), while Gallagher gets an honorable mention.

Further to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Detroit struck first in the first period on a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Pavel Datsyuk. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Ondrej Palat, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Martin St. Louis and Victor Hedman. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Tomas Jurco goal, his third of the season, via Riley Sheahan and Danny DeKeyser. The Lightning retied it as Tom Pyatt scored, thanks to Sami Salo and J.T. Brown. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period on an Alex Killorn, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Teddy Purcell and Pyatt. The Lightning finished at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Palat, his fourteenth of the campaign and second of the game, set up by Tyler Johnson and Salo. The three stars belonged to Palat, Pyatt, and Salo.

Northward again, with the New York Islanders welcoming the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Evgeni Nabokov are the veteran goalies. Colorado led off in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Gabriel Landeskog and Nick Holden. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau and Tyson Barrie. Colorado extended the lead when Duchene scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Barrie and Jamie McGinn. New York got on the board in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Josh Bailey and Lubomir Visnovsky. The Islanders pulled closer with a Visnovsky power play goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Tomas Vanek. The Avalanche added on with a Landeskog empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Andre Benoit. Colorado was awarded a goal with two seconds left in the game, credited as the seventeenth of the campaign for Paul Stastny, with a lone helper by Barrie, who got a sock trick with the odd moment. The three stars went to Duchene, Visnovsky, and Landeskog, while Barrie gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby are the young goalies. Washington began in the third period with a Julien Brouillette goal, assisted by Patrick Wey and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with an empty net goal by Martin Erat, passed from Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead on another empty net goal by Troy Brouwer, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Holtby (25 save shutout), Backstrom, and Brouillette.

Westward to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton in goal. Nashville started in the first period on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Simon Moser and Victor Bartley. Anaheim tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Hampus Lindholm and Dustin Penner. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Corey Perry power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Predators tied it in the third period on a Mike Fisher power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. Anaheim retook the lead as Emerson Etem scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Lindholm and Saku Koivu. The Ducks added on with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Daniel Winnik. Anaheim iced it on another Getzlaf goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign making it 5-2 for the final score. The three stars went to Getzlaf, Lindholm, and Etem.

Finally, in Dallas, the Stars host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Dallas opened in the first period on a Ray Whitney goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jordie Benn and Brenden Dillon. The Stars added on in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Trevor Daley and Jamie Benn. Phoenix got on the board in the third period on a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Antoine Vermette and Keith Yandle. The three stars were awarded to Lehtonen (26 for 27 in saves), Smith (31 for 33 in saves), and Nichushkin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and check back in two weeks for the return of the NHL.

NHL Day 130 2013-2014

Five games on the second to last day before the Olympic Break for the NHL, beginning in...

New Jersey, where the Devils host the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Cory Schneider are set to start. New Jersey opened in the first period with an Andrei Loktionov goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Bryce Salvador and Jaromir Jagr. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his twentieth of the year, via Nail Yakupov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime on a Jon Merrill goal, assisted by Michael Ryder and Adam Henrique. The three stars were handed to Merrill, Schneider (19 for 20 in saves), and Loktionov.

West a bit to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins welcoming the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal. Pittsburgh tied it on an Olli Maatta power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jussi Jokinen. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period on a Dan Girardi power play goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Derick Brassard. The Penguins tied it again on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming on the power play via James Neal and Matt Niskanen. New York regained the lead in the third period as Pouliot scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, a power play goal guided in by Girardi and Brad Richards. Pittsburgh tied it on a Neal goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Maatta and Jayson Megna. The Rangers won 4-3 on goals by Zuccarello and Richards in the shootout, topping a lone Malkin tally. The three stars were Pouliot, Zuccarello, and Girardi, while Richards, Neal, Maatta, and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas faces a former understudy in Anton Khudobin in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Riley Nash goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tuomo Ruutu. The Hurricanes added on with an Alexander Semin unassisted goal, his fourteenth of the year. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Dylan Olsen and Scottie Upshall. Carolina responded with a Brett Bellemore goal, his second of the year, thanks to Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the second period on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Eric Staal. Scott Clemmensen relieved Thomas at this time. Carolina padded the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Andrej Sekera, his ninth of the year, powered by Skinner and Jordan Staal. This was good for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Khudobin (34 for 35 in saves), Skinner, and Semin.

Out west, the Phoenix Coyotes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Phoenix started in the first period with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Mike Ribeiro and Yandle.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Antti Niemi guard the cages. San Jose led off in the first period with a John McCarthy goal, passed from James Sheppard. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone helper by Scott Hannan. Columbus got on the board in the second period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose replied in the third period as Tommy Wingels scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Jason Demers and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Boone Jenner goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Nathan Horton and Johansen. This was as close as it got, with the three stars going to Wingels, Johansen, and Demers.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 129 2013-2014

Third to last day before the Olympic Break begins in the NHL. We have eleven games tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Calgary Flames. Reto Berra and Evgeni Nabokov are in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kris Russell. The Flames added on with a Dennis Wideman power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mikael Backlund and T.J. Brodie. New York got on the board with a Thomas Hickey goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Josh Bailey and Colin McDonald. The Islanders tied it in the third period on a Calvin de Haan goal, his second of the year, passed from John Tavares and Thomas Vanek. Calgary took the lead back with a David Jones goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Stajan and Wideman. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Backlund empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jiri Hudler. The three stars went to Wideman, Backlund, and Berra (28 for 30 in saves).

Across town, the other New York team, the Rangers, welcome the other Alberta team, the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Cam Talbot are the young goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Ryan Smyth goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by David Perron. New York tied it on a second period Derick Brassard goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. The Oilers took the lead again in the third period on a Nail Yakupov goal, his eleventh of the season, via Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Scrivens (35 for 36 in saves), Yakupov, and Smyth.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Steve Mason are the reliable goalies. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Mark Streit goal, his eighth of the season, coming on the power play from Vincent Lecavalier and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Michael Raffl goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Couturier and Steve Downie. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. Philadelphia finished it at 3-1 with a Claude Giroux empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Coburn. The three stars went to Mason (38 for 39 in saves), Raffl, and Couturier.

Moving along to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Braden Holtby are the struggling goalies. Washington was first to score in the first period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Casey Wellman. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Andrew Ladd. The Jets took the lead in the second period as Dustin Byfuglien scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Devin Setoguchi and Olli Jokinen. The Capitals tied it in the third period on a Tom Wilson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Julien Brouillette and Patrick Wey. Washington took the lead on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fortieth of the season, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on with another Brouwer goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Johansson and Connor Carrick. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Brouwer, Holtby (34 for 36 in saves), and Johansson.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Canadian Olympians Roberto Luongo and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens added on as Ryan White scored, thanks to Michael Bournival and Dale Weise. Vancouver got on the board with a second period goal by Chris Higgins, his sixteenth of the year, coming on the power play via Jason Garrison and Jordan Schroeder. Montreal responded in the third period on another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens extended the lead with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper by Desharnais. The Canucks got one back on an Alexander Edler power play goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Raphael Diaz and Alexandre Burrows. Montreal wrapped it up as Pacioretty wrapped up his hat trick with his twenty-sixth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Gallagher and Alexei Emelin. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Pacioretty, Desharnais, and Gallagher.

West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Ottawa started in the second period on an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Stephane Da Costa and Cory Conacher. The Senators added on in the third period with a Milan Michalek goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jason Spezza and Mika Zibanejad. Buffalo got on the board with a Tyler Ennis goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Drew Stafford and Ville Leino. The Sabres tied it on a Stafford goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Christian Ehrhoff. Ottawa retook the lead on another Michalek goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, made possible by Spezza and Chris Neil. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Michalek, Stafford, and Spezza.

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the second period on a Mason Raymond goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Nikolai Kulemin and Morgan Rielly. Anders Lindback relieved Bishop in the third period. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a Jay McClement goal, his third of the year, guided in by David Clarkson and Joffrey Lupul. Toronto extended the lead on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Carl Gunnarsson and Phil Kessel. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson. The Maple Leafs finished it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Tyler Bozak, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Kessel. The three stars went to McClement, Kessel, and Bernier (33 for 34 in saves).

Staying in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tim Thomas are the American goalies. Florida began in the first period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Tomas Kopecky and Mike Weaver. Detroit tied it in the second period on a Daniel Alfredsson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings took the lead on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal from Brian Lashoff, set up by Darren Helm and Kronwall. The three stars were given to Kronwall, Howard (23 for 24 in saves), and Thomas (30 for 32 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on in the second period on a Schwartz goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Dmitrij Jaskin and Alex Pietrangelo. Boston got on the board in the third period with a David Krejci goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jarome Iginla and Milan Lucic. The Bruins tied it with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Johnny Boychuk and Torey Krug. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted goal by T.J. Oshie, his fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars went to Schwartz, Oshie, and Steen.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Darcy Kuemper are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Jonas Brodin goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Nino Neiderreiter. Nashville tied it with a Craig Smith goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper from the goalie Hutton. The Wild retook the lead on a Zach Parise power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Dany Heatley and Jason Pominville. The Predators retied it in the second period on another Smith goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Victor Bartley. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Neiderreiter goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Kyle Brodziak and Jared Spurgeon. The three stars went to Neiderreiter, Smith, and Parise.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Quick are the Vezina-caliber goalies. Columbus started in the first period on a Jack Johnson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and James Wisniewski. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Jake Muzzin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings won in overtime with a Robyn Regehr goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The three stars of the 2-1 game went to Regehr, Quick (24 for 25 in saves), and Muzzin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 128 2013-2014

Three games on a not very busy day. We begin in...

Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Drew Stafford goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis. Pittsburgh tied it on a Harry Zolnierczyk goal, his second of the year, coming off of Craig Adams and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Crosby power play goal in the second period, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen. Pittsburgh extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Evgeni Malkin, his seventeenth of the year. The Penguins padded the lead when Brian Gibbons scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brandon Sutter. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-1 with a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Malkin and Brooks Orpik. The three stars went to Crosby, Fleury (24 for 25 in saves), and Malkin.

Way southwest to Anaheim, where the Ducks welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonas Hiller guard the cages. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Patrick Sharp and Michal Rozsival. The Blackhawks added on in the third period when Jonathan Toews scored his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Hossa. This was good for a 2-0 win, with Crawford (29 save shutout), Hossa, and Toews earning the three stars.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Alex Stalock protect the nets. San Jose got going in the second period with a Martin Havlat goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Scott Hannan and James Sheppard. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Trevor Daley and Tyler Seguin. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime on a Tommy Wingels goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Havlat and Hannan. The three stars were Havlat, Stalock (19 for 20 in saves), and Hannan.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 127 2013-2014

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Jarome Iginla. The Bruins added on in the second period with an Iginla power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Zdeno Chara and Lucic. Vancouver got on the board when Raphael Diaz scored, with the help of Alexander Edler and Zack Kassian. Boston responded with a Daniel Paille goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Johnny Boychuk. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Iginla, Lucic, and Rask (27 for 28 in saves).

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan Callahan goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Carl Hagelin. The Rangers added on with another Callahan goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Brad Richards. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Gabriel Landeskog, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Paul Stastny. New York replied on an Anton Stralman goal, courtesy of Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers extended the lead on a third period with a Brassard goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Zuccarello. New York padded the lead with a Richards goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by Callahan and Hagelin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Callahan, Brassard, and Richards, while Hagelin and Zuccarello get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Anton Khudobin get the starting nods. Winnipeg got going in the second period as Andrew Ladd scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Michael Frolik and Bryan Little. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Riley Nash goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Drayson Bowman and Tuomo Ruutu. The Jets took the lead back on a Chris Thorburn goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Blake Wheeler. They held on for a 2-1 win, with Pavelec (28 for 29 in saves), Thorburn, and Ladd getting the three stars.

Back north to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Calgary Flames. Reto Berra and Carey Price are in the creases. Montreal started in the second period on a Rene Bourque goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Brandon Prust and Lars Eller. The Canadiens iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by David Desharnais, his ninth of the year, a power play goal set up by Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. The three stars belonged to Price (27 save shutout), Bourque, and Berra (25 for 26 in saves).

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Tim Thomas are the masked men. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tom Gilbert goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play via Brian Campbell and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on in the third period on a Campbell goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Scott Gomez and Tomas Fleischmann. Toronto got on the board with a David Clarkson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri. Florida replied on a Shawn Matthias goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers wrapped it up at 4-1 on a Marcel Goc empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Tomas Kopecky and Mike Weaver. Campbell, Thomas (20 for 21 in saves), and Matthias were the three stars.

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Michal Neuvirth are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period on a third period Andrew MacDonald goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Brock Nelson. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with Nabokov (22 save shutout), MacDonald, and Neuvirth (27 for 28 in saves) receiving the three stars.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Jaroslav Halak receive the starting nods. St. Louis began in the first period on a Brenden Morrow goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie. Ottawa tied it in the second period as Erik Karlsson his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Jason Spezza. The Blues retook the lead with an Oshie goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Magnus Paajarvi and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a David Backes goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Jaden Schwartz and Barret Jackman. The Senators pulled back in the third period on a Milan Michalek goal, his eighth of the season, via Spezza and Mika Zibanejad. Ottawa tied it on a Kyle Turris, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Karlsson and Jared Cowen. The Senators took the lead with a Spezza goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Zibanejad and Marc Methot. The Blues retied it with a Jordan Leopold goal, made possible by Schwartz and Derek Roy. In the shootout, Zibanejad cancelled out Oshie, Stephane Da Costa did the same to Alexander Steen, and then Ottawa took the game 5-4 on a Turris goal. The three stars of the game are Turris, Karlsson, and Spezza, while Oshie, Zibanejad, and Schwartz get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Nino Neiderreiter power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Jason Zucker. The Wild added on with a third period Dany Heatley goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Spurgeon. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Martin St. Louis Radko Gudas. This only made it 2-1 and they failed to tie it, leaving that as the final score. Kuemper (34 for 35 in saves), Heatley, and Neiderreiter got the three stars.

Finally, in Phoenix, the Coyotes bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Phoenix got going in the second period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his twenty-first of the season, an unassisted goal. Dallas tied it with a Shawn Horcoff power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley. The Stars took the lead in the third period on an Antoine Roussel goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Garbutt. Dallas iced it with a Garbutt empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Cody Eakin. Lehtonen (27 for 28 in saves), Garbutt, and Smith (37 for 39 in saves) are awarded the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 126 2013-2014

Seven games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jhonas Enroth will make the starts. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jeff Petry goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Nail Yakupov and David Perron. Buffalo tied it on a Steve Ott power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tyler Myers and Cody Hodgson. The Sabres took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Drew Stafford, his eighth of the season, set up by Zemgus Girgensons and Mike Weber. The Oilers tied it again in the second period on a Justin Schultz goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Perron and Andrew Ference. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Matt Hendricks, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Boyd Gordon and Martin Marincin. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Perron, Hendricks, and Schultz.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Ottawa started in the first period on a Stephane Da Costa goal, his third of the season, coming off of Cory Conacher and Erik Condra. Pittsburgh tied it with a Brian Gibbons power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Olli Maatta and Jussi Jokinen. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime as James Neal scored his eighteenth of the campaign, via Robert Bortuzzo and Evgeni Malkin. The three stars went to Neal, Fleury (24 for 25 in saves), and Anderson (46 for 48 in saves).

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Jonas Gustavsson are the backups making spot starts. Jimmy Howard relieved Gustavsson for the second period. Detroit got going in the second period on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings iced it at 2-0 with an empty net power play goal by Abdelkader, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Niklas Kronwall. The three stars went to Abdelkader, Howard (16 for 16 in saves in relief), and Gustavsson (8 for 8 in saves before exiting).

Back east, the New Jersey Devils host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Cory Schneider receive the starting nods. New Jersey began in the first period with a Ryan Carter goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta. Colorado tied it in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his tenth of the year, via Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche won 2-1 with a power play goal by Ryan O'Reilly in overtime, his twenty-first of the campaign, powered by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. The three stars were handed to O'Reilly, Giguere (27 for 28 in saves), and Parenteau.

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Frederik Andersen in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Nathan Horton and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a power play goal by R.J. Umberger, his fifteenth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Mark Letestu. Anaheim got on the board in the third period on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Pat Maroon and Teemu Selanne. Columbus replied on a Nick Foligno goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Umberger and Artem Anisimov. The Blue Jackets extended the lead with another Foligno goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Cam Atkinson and Fedor Tyutin. The Ducks got one back with Ryan Getzlaf scoring his twenty-seventh of the year, thanks to Hampus Lindholm and Dustin Penner.

Staying in SoCal, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-sixth of the season coming on the power play from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Bryan Bickell goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Kane and Andrew Shaw. Los Angeles got on the board as Drew Doughty scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Slava Voynov and Anze Kopitar. The Kings tied it on a second period Kopitar goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Chicago retook the lead on a Marcus Kruger goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy and Ben Smith. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a third period goal by Leddy, his sixth of the year, helped along by Marian Hossa and Kris Versteeg. Chicago padded the lead with Kane's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Sharp and Toews. Los Angeles shot back with a Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Carter and Kopitar. They couldn't tie it, losing 5-3, with Kane, Toffoli, and Kopitar getting the three stars, while Leddy, Toews, Sharp, and Carter get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Antti Niemi are the masked men. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Mark Streit power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. San Jose tied it on a power play goal by Matthew Nieto, his fifth of the year, assisted by Tommy Wingels and Matt Irwin. The Sharks took the lead as Nieto scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Flyer tied it in the third period on a Matt Read goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Steve Downie and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia took the lead when Michael Raffl netted his sixth of the season, thanks to Erik Gustafsson and Adam Hall. The Flyers added on with a Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Alex Stalock relieved Niemi at this time. Philadelphia wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Jakub Voracek goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, via Giroux and Hartnell. Giroux, Hartnell, and Nieto get the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

SUPER BOWL XLVIII from East Rutherford, New Jersey

This is it for football. The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks do battle in the home of the Giants and Jets for the ultimate prize, the Lombardi Trophy. Seattle began in the first quarter with a safety as the Denver snapped the ball through the back of the end zone. The Seahawks added on with a Steven Hauschka 31 yard field goal. Seattle extended the lead on a 33 yard field goal by Hauschka. The Seahawks padded the lead in the second quarter on a 1 yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch, and Hauschka booted the extra point. Seattle struck again when Malcolm Smith intercepted Peyton Manning and returned the ball 69 yards for a touchdown, and Hauschka iced the play with the extra point. The Seahawks got some more in the third quarter as Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown, and Hauschka handled the PAT. Seattle kept going as Russell Wilson threw a 23 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse, and Hauschka supplied the extra point. Denver got on the board with a Peyton Manning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas for 14 yards, and Manning was able to find Wes Welker for the two-point conversion. The Seahawks replied with a Wilson touchdown pass of 10 yards to Doug Baldwin, and Hauschka nailed the extra point. This was all they needed for a 43-8 win. The Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions, while the Broncos record-setting season ends without a trophy.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.