Twelve games fill the schedule today. The first of three matinees is from...
Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston struck first in the first period with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug. New York tied it on a second period goal by John Tavares, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Kyle Okposo. The Bruins retook the lead on a David Pastrnak goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Eriksson. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Pastrnak goal in the third period, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, via Eriksson. The three stars were Pastrnak, Eriksson, and Rask (25 for 26 in saves).
Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Chad Johnson are in the blue paint. Carolina got going in the second period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner. Buffalo tied it with a Marcus Foligno goal, his ninth of the year, via Brian Gionta. The Sabres took the lead in the third period on a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. The Hurricanes retied it as Victor Rask scored his sixteenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Riley Nash and Elias Lindholm. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime on an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, made possible by Kane. The three stars belonged to Eichel, Kane, and Foligno.
Along to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. Detroit tied it with a Darren Helm goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Luke Glendening and Danny DeKeyser in the third period. The Rangers took the lead back on a Kreider power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Zuccarello. The Red Wings tied it again with a Brad Richards power play goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with Helm's second of the game and tenth of the campaign, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and DeKeyser. The three stars were Helm, Kreider, and DeKeyser, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.
At the usual times, the Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Mike Condon man the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with an unassisted Nino Niederreiter goal, his fifteenth of the season. Montreal tied it with a Mark Barberio goal, his second of the year, guided in by Sven Andrighetto and Max Pacioretty. The Wild took the lead back with a Mikael Granlund goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Thomas Vanek and Matt Dumba. Minnesota added on with a Granlund power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Vanek and Niederreiter. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a third period Erik Haula empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Charlie Coyle. The three stars were Granlund, Niederreiter, and Vanek.
West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Craig Anderson play goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Marc Methot. The Senators added on in the second period with a Cody Ceci goal, his eighth of the year, via Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Zack Smith scored his twenty-first of the season, with the help of Pageau and Stone. The Senators finished it at 4-0 with a Stone goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone helper by Pageau, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Stone, Pageau, and Anderson (29 save shutout).
Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Roberto Luongo are the veterans in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad. Philadelphia tied it on a Nick Cousins goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Sam Gagner. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Ryan White power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Gagner and Matt Read. The Panthers tied it again on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Jaromir Jagr and Dmitry Kulikov. Philadelphia regained the lead in the third period with a Michael Raffl goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper from Evgeny Medvedev. Florida retied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Nick Bjugstad and Jagr. The Panthers pulled ahead as Smith scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Jussi Jokinen and Jakub Kindl. The Flyers tied it again as Shayne Gostisbehere scored his fifteenth of the year, with the help of Sean Couturier and Raffl. The tie went to the shootout, where Bjugstad and Barkov scored to give the Panthers the 5-4 win. The three stars were awarded to Smith, Barkov, and Bjugstad, while Jagr, Raffl, and Gagner get the honorable mentions.
Returning to Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec are the experienced goalies. Colorado dented the scoreboard with an Erik Johnson goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Matt Duchene. The Avalanche added on with a Duchene goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming on the power play from Jarome Iginla and Blake Comeau. Winnipeg got on the board with a power play goal by Mark Scheifele, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets tied it on a Drew Stafford goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, via Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg took the lead with an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Scott Kosmachuk. This gave them a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Duchene, and Pavelec (35 for 37 in saves).
South again, as the Dallas Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Niemi are between the pipes. St. Louis started in the first period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Robby Fabbri and Paul Stastny. Dallas tied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jamie Benn and Kris Russell. The Blues took the lead back in the second period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, fueled by Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. The Stars tied it again with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Russell. St. Louis pulled ahead with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Stastny and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with a Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, guided in by Schwartz and Tarasenko. Dallas chipped back in the third period with a Spezza goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Ales Hemsky and Alex Goligoski. The Stars tied it with a Benn power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists from Seguin and Goligoski. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Stastny, who got a sock trick, and Fabbri. The three stars belonged to Shattenkirk, Spezza, and Stastny, while Fabbri, Benn, Russell, Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Seguin, Schwartz, and Goligoski all receive honorable mentions.
Northwest to Edmonton, with the Oilers bringing in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith returns from injury against Cam Talbot in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, his third of the season, assisted by Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes added on with a second period Antoine Vermette goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Shane Doan and Michael Stone. Arizona extended the lead on a power play goal by Alex Tanguay, his seventh of the season, powered by Stone and Vermette. The Coyotes padded the lead as Vermette scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year in the third period, an unassisted goal. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Smith (44 save shutout), Vermette, and Stone.
Over in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ryan Miller are the overrated goalies. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Ben Hutton and Radim Vrbata. The Canucks added on with a Derek Dorsett goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Alexandre Burrows. Nashville got on the board with a Mike Fisher goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Roman Josi and Shea Weber in the second period. Vancouver replied with a Horvat goal, his eleventh of the season, via Yannick Weber and Burrows. The Predators shot back on a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, assisted by Josi and Austin Watson. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Daniel Sedin empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Henrik Sedin and Vrbata. The three stars went to Horvat, Josi, and Burrows, while Vrbata gets an honorable mention.
Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jonathan Quick have the green light to play goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Tyler Kennedy goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Devante Smith-Pelly. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Anze Koptiar goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Milan Lucic and Alec Martinez. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a John Moore goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Joseph Blandisi. The three stars went to Moore, Kinkaid (22 for 23 in saves), and Kennedy.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Joe Thornton goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Brenden Dillon and Tomas Hertl. Washington tied it with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Sharks took the lead back with a shorthanded Patrick Marleau goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Joel Ward and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Capitals tied it again on a Justin Williams goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. San Jose regained the lead in the third period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Thornton and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Dillon goal, his second of the year, with assists from Chris Tierney and Roman Polak. San Jose finished it at 5-2 with a Burns empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, fueled by Pavelski and Nick Spaling. The three stars went to Pavelski, Thornton, and Dillon, while Burns gets an honorable mention.
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Saturday, March 12, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 148
Five games tonight, beginning at...
Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Gregory Campbell goal, his third of the season, passed from Jared Boll and Rene Bourque. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins took the lead on a second period goal by Chris Kunitz, his thirteenth of the season, via Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murray and Campbell. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the campaign helped along by Malkin and Kessel. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Malkin, Kessel, and Campbell.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers added on with a Matt Read power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Andrew MacDonald and Sean Couturier in the second period. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Wayne Simmonds and Brandon Manning. Tampa Bay got on the board with a third period goal by Brian Boyle, his tenth of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Anton Stralman. The final held from here at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Mason (18 for 19 in saves), Read, and Schenn.
Into St. Louis, where the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jake Allen are the young goalies. Anaheim got going with a Ryan Getzlaf goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal from Ryan Kesler and Rickard Rakell. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his seventh of the year, via Carl Gunnarsson and Robby Fabbri. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Jori Lehtera goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis added on with a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks got one back with an unassisted Rakell goal, his eighteenth of the season. The Blues shot back with Tarasenko's thirty-first of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Tarasenko unassisted empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Rakell, and Berglund.
To the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen make the starts in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Jamie Benn on the power play. The Stars added on in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Ales Hemsky. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his thirty-third of the season, thanks to Spezza. The Stars padded the lead with a Benn power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Patrick Eaves and Seguin. Scott Darling replaced Crawford. Chicago got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann and Erik Gustafsson. Dallas replied in the third period with a Hemsky empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks fired back on a Fleischmann goal, his twelfth of the campaign, courtesy of Dale Weise and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Benn, and Spezza, while Fleischmann gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Joni Ortio are the unknown goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a shorthanded Mikael Backlund goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Michael Frolik. Arizona tied it on a Boyd Gordon shorthanded goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his twelfth of the season, a power play goal via Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan. Arizona added on with a Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Doan and Max Domi. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Richardson empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Vermette. The three stars were Richardson, Vermette, and Doan.
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Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Gregory Campbell goal, his third of the season, passed from Jared Boll and Rene Bourque. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins took the lead on a second period goal by Chris Kunitz, his thirteenth of the season, via Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murray and Campbell. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the campaign helped along by Malkin and Kessel. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Malkin, Kessel, and Campbell.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers added on with a Matt Read power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Andrew MacDonald and Sean Couturier in the second period. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Wayne Simmonds and Brandon Manning. Tampa Bay got on the board with a third period goal by Brian Boyle, his tenth of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Anton Stralman. The final held from here at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Mason (18 for 19 in saves), Read, and Schenn.
Into St. Louis, where the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jake Allen are the young goalies. Anaheim got going with a Ryan Getzlaf goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal from Ryan Kesler and Rickard Rakell. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his seventh of the year, via Carl Gunnarsson and Robby Fabbri. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Jori Lehtera goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis added on with a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks got one back with an unassisted Rakell goal, his eighteenth of the season. The Blues shot back with Tarasenko's thirty-first of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Tarasenko unassisted empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Rakell, and Berglund.
To the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen make the starts in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Jamie Benn on the power play. The Stars added on in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Ales Hemsky. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his thirty-third of the season, thanks to Spezza. The Stars padded the lead with a Benn power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Patrick Eaves and Seguin. Scott Darling replaced Crawford. Chicago got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann and Erik Gustafsson. Dallas replied in the third period with a Hemsky empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks fired back on a Fleischmann goal, his twelfth of the campaign, courtesy of Dale Weise and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Benn, and Spezza, while Fleischmann gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Joni Ortio are the unknown goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a shorthanded Mikael Backlund goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Michael Frolik. Arizona tied it on a Boyd Gordon shorthanded goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his twelfth of the season, a power play goal via Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan. Arizona added on with a Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Doan and Max Domi. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Richardson empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Vermette. The three stars were Richardson, Vermette, and Doan.
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Thursday, March 10, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 147
Six more games today in a quiet Thursday. We begin with...
The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Tuukka Rask make the starts in goal. Carolina started in the first period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Riley Nash. Boston tied it with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug in the second period. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Nathan Garbe goal, his third of the season, via Chris Terry and Nash. The Bruins tied it in the third period as David Pastrnak scored his tenth of the year, thanks to David Krejci. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Hanifin. The three stars went to Di Giuseppe, Hanifin, and Nash.
Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets added on with a Tyler Myers goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Mark Scheifele. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, via Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings tied it on a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Niklas Kronwall and Darren Helm. Detroit took the lead in the third period with an Abdelkader goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Tomas Tatar. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Abdelkader, Ericsson, and Larkin.
Into Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Mike Condon are given the starting nods. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fifth of the season, via Jake McCabe and Zach Bogosian. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Max Pacioretty and Mark Barberio. The Canadiens took the lead with another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Sven Andrighetto and P.K. Subban. The Sabres tied it in the third period on a Brian Gionta goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Evander Kane and Matt Moulson. Montreal regained the lead on a Torrey Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Barberio and Stefan Matteau. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Barberio, and Condon (36 for 38 in saves).
South to Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida opened in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Brian Campbell. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Gudbranson and Vincent Trocheck. The Senators tied it again with a Karlsson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Smith and Mark Stone. Florida pulled ahead with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Trocheck and Jokinen. The Panthers added on with an unassisted Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the year. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Jagr scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Trocheck, who got a sock trick. The Panthers iced it at 6-2 with a Trocheck goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Reilly Smith. The three stars went to Trocheck, Jagr, and Jokinen, while Huberdeau, Smith, and Karlsson receive the honorable mentions.
Back in the north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper draw the starts. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Letestu and Adam Clendening. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Zach Parise goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers retook the lead in the third period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Zack Kassian and Andrej Sekera. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), McDavid, and Korpikoski.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Martin Jones are between the pipes. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Stephen Gionta and Mike Sislo. The Devils added on with a Travis Zajac goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 with Zajac's second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by Reid Boucher. The three stars were Kinkaid (30 save shutout), Zajac, and Smith-Pelly.
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The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Tuukka Rask make the starts in goal. Carolina started in the first period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Riley Nash. Boston tied it with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug in the second period. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Nathan Garbe goal, his third of the season, via Chris Terry and Nash. The Bruins tied it in the third period as David Pastrnak scored his tenth of the year, thanks to David Krejci. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Hanifin. The three stars went to Di Giuseppe, Hanifin, and Nash.
Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets added on with a Tyler Myers goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Mark Scheifele. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, via Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings tied it on a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Niklas Kronwall and Darren Helm. Detroit took the lead in the third period with an Abdelkader goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Tomas Tatar. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Abdelkader, Ericsson, and Larkin.
Into Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Mike Condon are given the starting nods. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fifth of the season, via Jake McCabe and Zach Bogosian. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Max Pacioretty and Mark Barberio. The Canadiens took the lead with another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Sven Andrighetto and P.K. Subban. The Sabres tied it in the third period on a Brian Gionta goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Evander Kane and Matt Moulson. Montreal regained the lead on a Torrey Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Barberio and Stefan Matteau. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Barberio, and Condon (36 for 38 in saves).
South to Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida opened in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Brian Campbell. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Gudbranson and Vincent Trocheck. The Senators tied it again with a Karlsson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Smith and Mark Stone. Florida pulled ahead with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Trocheck and Jokinen. The Panthers added on with an unassisted Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the year. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Jagr scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Trocheck, who got a sock trick. The Panthers iced it at 6-2 with a Trocheck goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Reilly Smith. The three stars went to Trocheck, Jagr, and Jokinen, while Huberdeau, Smith, and Karlsson receive the honorable mentions.
Back in the north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper draw the starts. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Letestu and Adam Clendening. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Zach Parise goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers retook the lead in the third period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Zack Kassian and Andrej Sekera. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), McDavid, and Korpikoski.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Martin Jones are between the pipes. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Stephen Gionta and Mike Sislo. The Devils added on with a Travis Zajac goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 with Zajac's second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by Reid Boucher. The three stars were Kinkaid (30 save shutout), Zajac, and Smith-Pelly.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 146
Six games on today, beginning in...
Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Garret Sparks are the little known goalies. New York began in the first period with an unassisted John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his second of the year, via Colin Greening and Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri. The Islanders tied it again on a Nick Leddy goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. New York took the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Leddy in the third period. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Kadri and Jake Gardiner. In the shootout, Nikita Soshnikov scored to give the Maple Leafs a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Kadri, Leddy, and Soshnikov.
Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jake Allen tend the twines. Chicago got going in the second period with an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Michal Rozsival. St. Louis tied it on a David Backes power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead with a Troy Brouwer goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Paul Stastny and Robby Fabbri. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. In the shootout, Patrik Berglund, Brouwer, and Shattenkirk tallied for the Blues, giving them a 3-2 win over Panarin, Artem Anisimov, and the Blackhawks. The three stars went to Brouwer, Shattenkirk, and Panarin.
Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Joni Ortio are the backups in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with Gaudreau's second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Monahan and Dougie Hamilton. Nashville got on the board with a third period Anthony Bitetto goal, fueled by Mike Fisher and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators tied it on a Fisher goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Arvidsson and James Neal. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Gaudreau and Giordano. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Giordano, while Fisher and Arvidsson get the honorable mentions.
Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are the reliable goalies. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Erik Johnson and Mikkel Boedker. The Avalanche added on with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his third of the year, via Matt Duchene and Francois Beauchemin. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Shawn Matthias scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Carl Soderberg and Nick Holden. This held up for an eventual 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Varlamov (37 save shutout), MacKinnon, and Martinsen.
Into Canada again, with the Vancouver Canucks welcoming the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tobias Rieder power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Alex Tanguay and Michael Stone. The Coyotes added on with a Kevin Connauton goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Tanguay. Vancouver got on the board with a Radim Vrbata goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Yannick Weber. The Canucks tied it with a Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ben Hutton and Sven Baertschi. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Markus Granlund goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Jake Virtanen. The three stars went to Tanguay, Granlund, and Sbisa.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on with a Jake Muzzin goal, his eighth of the year, via Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead as Milan Lucic scored his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Jeff Carter and Brayden McNabb. Washington got on the board in the third period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Marcus Johansson and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals got closer with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Oshie. Washington tied it with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Kings survived to win in overtime with a Carter goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Lucic and Drew Doughty. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Carter, Lucic, and Oshie, while Pearson gets an honorable mention.
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Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Garret Sparks are the little known goalies. New York began in the first period with an unassisted John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his second of the year, via Colin Greening and Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri. The Islanders tied it again on a Nick Leddy goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. New York took the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Leddy in the third period. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Kadri and Jake Gardiner. In the shootout, Nikita Soshnikov scored to give the Maple Leafs a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Kadri, Leddy, and Soshnikov.
Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jake Allen tend the twines. Chicago got going in the second period with an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Michal Rozsival. St. Louis tied it on a David Backes power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead with a Troy Brouwer goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Paul Stastny and Robby Fabbri. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. In the shootout, Patrik Berglund, Brouwer, and Shattenkirk tallied for the Blues, giving them a 3-2 win over Panarin, Artem Anisimov, and the Blackhawks. The three stars went to Brouwer, Shattenkirk, and Panarin.
Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Joni Ortio are the backups in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with Gaudreau's second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Monahan and Dougie Hamilton. Nashville got on the board with a third period Anthony Bitetto goal, fueled by Mike Fisher and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators tied it on a Fisher goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Arvidsson and James Neal. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Gaudreau and Giordano. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Giordano, while Fisher and Arvidsson get the honorable mentions.
Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are the reliable goalies. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Erik Johnson and Mikkel Boedker. The Avalanche added on with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his third of the year, via Matt Duchene and Francois Beauchemin. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Shawn Matthias scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Carl Soderberg and Nick Holden. This held up for an eventual 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Varlamov (37 save shutout), MacKinnon, and Martinsen.
Into Canada again, with the Vancouver Canucks welcoming the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tobias Rieder power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Alex Tanguay and Michael Stone. The Coyotes added on with a Kevin Connauton goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Tanguay. Vancouver got on the board with a Radim Vrbata goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Yannick Weber. The Canucks tied it with a Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ben Hutton and Sven Baertschi. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Markus Granlund goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Jake Virtanen. The three stars went to Tanguay, Granlund, and Sbisa.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on with a Jake Muzzin goal, his eighth of the year, via Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead as Milan Lucic scored his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Jeff Carter and Brayden McNabb. Washington got on the board in the third period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Marcus Johansson and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals got closer with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Oshie. Washington tied it with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Kings survived to win in overtime with a Carter goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Lucic and Drew Doughty. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Carter, Lucic, and Oshie, while Pearson gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.
Contenders or Pretenders? Analyzing the NHL Playoff Field
It appears that a lot of the teams currently occupying playoff spots in the NHL are probably going to make it with fairly stable leads, and many of the teams behind them are too far out of a spot at this point. This means that it's time to take a more significant look at how these teams will fare once the second season gets going.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The top three teams in each division look pretty set at this point, and while there's a thick battle for the final wild card slot, whichever lucky team between the Avalanche and Jets are probably just a sacrifice to the top division winner. The Nashville Predators are likely taking the first wild card slot, and while the addition of Ryan Johansen has looked good and Craig Smith in particular has excelled recently, there's not a lot of reasons to like their chances of being a Cinderella story this season. The top teams in the west are just too good to topple, especially for a team backstopped by the inconsistent Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville does have a fair amount of young talent on the team, and a good mix of veterans like James Neal and Shea Weber, so the future is near for them, but this isn't the year.
The Big Three of the Central Division, the Blackhawks, Blues, and Stars, represent three very distinct phases of success. While all are fairly close in points, wins in the regular season mean very little in the playoffs.
The Blachkawks are one of the biggest success stories in rebuilding for the last decade. They went from bottom of the heap to perennial power, and with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still in the their primes, the Blackhawks are definitely contenders for this season and beyond. A strong supporting cast with Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov on Kane's line and trade deadline additions of Andrew Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann, among others, has this team overflowing with NHL talent. Christian Ehrhoff as an extra body on defense won't hurt either, considering the Blackhawks romped to last year's Stanley Cup win with essentially four defensemen after Michal Rozsival's injury.
The St. Louis Blues are not that dissimilar from the Blackhawks, except in one way: championships. The Blues have routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to get trampled early on. The trade of T.J. Oshie to the Capitals represented a shakeup for the core, but new talent such as Vladimir Tarasenko and the emergence of Alex Steen have allowed a retooling on the fly for the Blues. They have some impressive rookies this year, such as Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri, as well as a number of big name defensemen to keep their back end secure, but the injuries are worrisome. Not having both Jake Allen and Brian Elliott healthy for much of the season puts a lot of wear and tear on their crease. The fact that they can hang in the league's best division this long with so many games lost to injury is impressive, but the playoffs will truly test their depth against similar teams.
The Dallas Stars have burst onto the scene this year. Led by Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and a surprising rise for defenseman John Klingberg, the Stars are an exciting team to watch. They score goals, they have crafty players, and they are reviving Dallas as a destination for players. Still, they didn't get that much done at the deadline for reinforcements, and unless Kris Russell is the hero Texas wants and needs, the defense is highly suspect. Add in bloated goals-against numbers for the Finnish goaltending tandem of Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, and the Stars probably aren't quite to contender status yet, but they should find their way into the second round on their pure offensive talent alone.
In the Pacific, the Anaheim Ducks finally look like what we thought they'd be all along. An insane run since around the new year has taken them to first in the division, toppling a middling Los Angeles Kings team (more on them later). The acquisition of David Perron from the Penguins has changed the forward group for the Ducks, as he has clicked exceptionally well with Ryan Getzlaf. Corey Perry has bumped up his scoring as well on what appears to be a second line with Rickard Rakell. Ryan Kesler's presence on the third line gives them scoring depth unlike virtually any team outside of Dallas and Chicago. The goaltending from both Frederik Andersen and John Gibson has been extremely solid, and the defense is as young and strong as ever. The only question here is how will Bruce Boudreau screw it up? His notorious tweaking of lines and rotation of goalies is his Achilles' heel, and the specter of his teams always flaming out spectacularly in the playoffs is not easy to ignore. They look like contenders right now, but that's been said many times.
The Los Angeles Kings have been falling a bit, playing at about a .500 points percentage in the last two months. Vincent Lecavalier has helped them find scoring depth since his trade from the Flyers, but the loss of Marian Gaborik to injury has been tough for the team to deal with. There have been glimpses of offense from younger talents on the lower lines, and Anze Kopitar is putting up strong numbers again, but Jeff Carter and his linemates have faded a bit over time. The defense is solid but unspectacular, and the Kings don't have a ton of urgency going forward since they had built up a pretty solid lead over time. The thing the Kings have that their rivals don't is recent success. Having split the last four Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, the Kings know what it takes to win, and if recent history matters at all, this would be their year.
The San Jose Sharks represent the underdog team in the Pacific. Their big names are well known, but it's their goaltending that has served them well this year. Martin Jones has seized his chance to be a true number one goalie, and with experienced James Reimer (who kept the Maple Leafs in a number of games throughout his tenure), the net should be safe. The Sharks can also score pretty well, be it through the playmaking of Joe Thornton, the sniping of Joe Pavelski, or additional offense from Patrick Marleau and a now-healthy Logan Couture. Combine that with 24 goals from defenseman Brent Burns, and these Sharks could probably contend as well. If the Kings continue to stumble and draw the Sharks in the first round, this might just be the time for Northern California's own to move forward.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
The wild card race is a bit more compelling for the east, with three teams battling for two spots. The Pittsburgh Penguins own the high ground right now, and their system under Mike Sullivan is trending up, led by a resurgent Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin two-headed monster. Phil Kessel has disappointed a bit, and the defense is suspect outside of Kris Letang, but the Penguins could put up a fight against the beasts of the east. The Detroit Red Wings are in the mix again, trying to keep their playoff seasons streak alive, but there's not a lot to like about them if they can make it into the postseason. They don't have anything to set them apart, and it appears Petr Mrazek is losing steam, with Jimmy Howard snagging a few starts recently. Their margin for error is very small, so they need to be on their games going forward. Nipping at their heels, the Philadelphia Flyers are doing fairly well even with Jakub Voracek out of the lineup. Shayne Gostisbehere is having a record season for defensemen, and Sean Couturier has been solid when he's in the lineup. However, the Flyers don't have a lot of depth, and their goaltending is suspect at best, so even if they can overtake the Penguins or Red Wings, they won't last long against the Capitals.
Leading the entire league, the Washington Capitals are having a remarkable season. Their offense looks like it did in the Boudreau era. Alex Ovechkin has used sheer sniping to overtake the goals lead from Patrick Kane. Nicklas Backstrom is his elite setup man, and T.J. Oshie has worked well. The emergence of Russian talents Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky has helped the Capitals balance their offense. Justin Williams looks more comfortable in a free-flowing offense, and his playoff experience can't be ignored. However, rarely does the President's Trophy winner even make it to the Stanley Cup. Couple that with the main core of the Capitals lacking playoff success, and they seem prime to be upset in the second or third round. They have to be considered contenders with what they've done so far, but it wouldn't shock anyone to see them bow out early again.
Far below the Capitals, the New York Islanders and Rangers jockey for home ice in what's looking to be their impending first round series. Each team has a number of noticeable flaws. For the Rangers, consistency is one, as well as poor possession numbers. Henrik Lundqvist can't carry the team forever, and the defense isn't enough to turn a series. The Islanders have goaltending problems of their own. Jaroslav Halak is a clear number one when he's healthy, which has been the major caveat to their season. Thomas Greiss has been a good backup, and he might do enough to steal a series if necessary, but he'll fade eventually. Neither team has the scoring depth of the Capitals or even the wild card sides, and the Islanders best trait in particular, their physicality, is not a huge advantage in the playoffs. There's not much to like for either team in the city that never sleeps.
In the Atlantic, the best storyline features the Florida Panthers. Riding the backs of ageless wonders Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo, as well as a bunch of fresh-faced stars in the making, the Panthers have put the NHL on notice. They're a fun and loose team off the ice who keep finding ways to win games and stay relevant despite below-average attendance. There's a quirky mix of veterans and youngsters in supporting roles. Reilly Smith has been a success this year, as has Vincent Trocheck, providing the ever-important secondary scoring. The one thing keeping the Panthers going has been luck, and it appears that luck is fading as they are now third in the Atlantic. They'll probably stay there, but elimination at the hands of the Bruins or Lightning seems likely.
The Boston Bruins are getting one last kick at the can for this season. Patrice Bergeron appears ready to take a major leadership role on the team whenever Zdeno Chara calls it quits, and if Brad Marchand continues playing like this, the Bruins will have to hand him a blank check. The defense is aged and young in all the wrong ways. Torey Krug seems to work well in overtime and on the power play, but not really anywhere else. Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are probably done in a couple of years. Kevan Miller and others are not enough to fix this. At forward, Loui Eriksson is probably going to walk, just to make space for Marchand. The depth is questionable. Rask could carry them, but there's plenty of reason to doubt the legitimacy of the Bruins.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, in some ways quietly and some quite loud, are right back in the fight. While losing Stamkos in free agency is a real concern, and potentially losing Jonathan Drouin over a big disagreement with his superiors also doesn't bode well, the Lightning are tied for the division lead as of this writing. The Triplets line, one of the big headline-grabbers in their run to a Stanley Cup loss last season, is quietly clicking again. The drama around Stamkos hasn't affected his play on the ice. The defense is solid, led by Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. Ben Bishop is having a career year and has room to grow, only overshadowed by the likes of Holtby, Crawford, and Mrazek and the fact that he plays in Florida. The Lightning were close last year, and recent performances suggest they may have the best chance of anyone in the Atlantic to do it again.
In all, the contenders are the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Blackhawks, Stars, Capitals, and Lightning. The rest of the field has a few too many flaws to be taken seriously this season when the games start to count more. With the way the playoffs are structured, it's realistic to see only five of these teams in the second round, which will be where their greatness for this season truly rises above the rest. Of course, there's always a chance some other team will get hot and throw everything out of balance for awhile. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The top three teams in each division look pretty set at this point, and while there's a thick battle for the final wild card slot, whichever lucky team between the Avalanche and Jets are probably just a sacrifice to the top division winner. The Nashville Predators are likely taking the first wild card slot, and while the addition of Ryan Johansen has looked good and Craig Smith in particular has excelled recently, there's not a lot of reasons to like their chances of being a Cinderella story this season. The top teams in the west are just too good to topple, especially for a team backstopped by the inconsistent Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville does have a fair amount of young talent on the team, and a good mix of veterans like James Neal and Shea Weber, so the future is near for them, but this isn't the year.
The Big Three of the Central Division, the Blackhawks, Blues, and Stars, represent three very distinct phases of success. While all are fairly close in points, wins in the regular season mean very little in the playoffs.
The Blachkawks are one of the biggest success stories in rebuilding for the last decade. They went from bottom of the heap to perennial power, and with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still in the their primes, the Blackhawks are definitely contenders for this season and beyond. A strong supporting cast with Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov on Kane's line and trade deadline additions of Andrew Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann, among others, has this team overflowing with NHL talent. Christian Ehrhoff as an extra body on defense won't hurt either, considering the Blackhawks romped to last year's Stanley Cup win with essentially four defensemen after Michal Rozsival's injury.
The St. Louis Blues are not that dissimilar from the Blackhawks, except in one way: championships. The Blues have routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to get trampled early on. The trade of T.J. Oshie to the Capitals represented a shakeup for the core, but new talent such as Vladimir Tarasenko and the emergence of Alex Steen have allowed a retooling on the fly for the Blues. They have some impressive rookies this year, such as Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri, as well as a number of big name defensemen to keep their back end secure, but the injuries are worrisome. Not having both Jake Allen and Brian Elliott healthy for much of the season puts a lot of wear and tear on their crease. The fact that they can hang in the league's best division this long with so many games lost to injury is impressive, but the playoffs will truly test their depth against similar teams.
The Dallas Stars have burst onto the scene this year. Led by Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and a surprising rise for defenseman John Klingberg, the Stars are an exciting team to watch. They score goals, they have crafty players, and they are reviving Dallas as a destination for players. Still, they didn't get that much done at the deadline for reinforcements, and unless Kris Russell is the hero Texas wants and needs, the defense is highly suspect. Add in bloated goals-against numbers for the Finnish goaltending tandem of Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, and the Stars probably aren't quite to contender status yet, but they should find their way into the second round on their pure offensive talent alone.
In the Pacific, the Anaheim Ducks finally look like what we thought they'd be all along. An insane run since around the new year has taken them to first in the division, toppling a middling Los Angeles Kings team (more on them later). The acquisition of David Perron from the Penguins has changed the forward group for the Ducks, as he has clicked exceptionally well with Ryan Getzlaf. Corey Perry has bumped up his scoring as well on what appears to be a second line with Rickard Rakell. Ryan Kesler's presence on the third line gives them scoring depth unlike virtually any team outside of Dallas and Chicago. The goaltending from both Frederik Andersen and John Gibson has been extremely solid, and the defense is as young and strong as ever. The only question here is how will Bruce Boudreau screw it up? His notorious tweaking of lines and rotation of goalies is his Achilles' heel, and the specter of his teams always flaming out spectacularly in the playoffs is not easy to ignore. They look like contenders right now, but that's been said many times.
The Los Angeles Kings have been falling a bit, playing at about a .500 points percentage in the last two months. Vincent Lecavalier has helped them find scoring depth since his trade from the Flyers, but the loss of Marian Gaborik to injury has been tough for the team to deal with. There have been glimpses of offense from younger talents on the lower lines, and Anze Kopitar is putting up strong numbers again, but Jeff Carter and his linemates have faded a bit over time. The defense is solid but unspectacular, and the Kings don't have a ton of urgency going forward since they had built up a pretty solid lead over time. The thing the Kings have that their rivals don't is recent success. Having split the last four Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, the Kings know what it takes to win, and if recent history matters at all, this would be their year.
The San Jose Sharks represent the underdog team in the Pacific. Their big names are well known, but it's their goaltending that has served them well this year. Martin Jones has seized his chance to be a true number one goalie, and with experienced James Reimer (who kept the Maple Leafs in a number of games throughout his tenure), the net should be safe. The Sharks can also score pretty well, be it through the playmaking of Joe Thornton, the sniping of Joe Pavelski, or additional offense from Patrick Marleau and a now-healthy Logan Couture. Combine that with 24 goals from defenseman Brent Burns, and these Sharks could probably contend as well. If the Kings continue to stumble and draw the Sharks in the first round, this might just be the time for Northern California's own to move forward.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
The wild card race is a bit more compelling for the east, with three teams battling for two spots. The Pittsburgh Penguins own the high ground right now, and their system under Mike Sullivan is trending up, led by a resurgent Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin two-headed monster. Phil Kessel has disappointed a bit, and the defense is suspect outside of Kris Letang, but the Penguins could put up a fight against the beasts of the east. The Detroit Red Wings are in the mix again, trying to keep their playoff seasons streak alive, but there's not a lot to like about them if they can make it into the postseason. They don't have anything to set them apart, and it appears Petr Mrazek is losing steam, with Jimmy Howard snagging a few starts recently. Their margin for error is very small, so they need to be on their games going forward. Nipping at their heels, the Philadelphia Flyers are doing fairly well even with Jakub Voracek out of the lineup. Shayne Gostisbehere is having a record season for defensemen, and Sean Couturier has been solid when he's in the lineup. However, the Flyers don't have a lot of depth, and their goaltending is suspect at best, so even if they can overtake the Penguins or Red Wings, they won't last long against the Capitals.
Leading the entire league, the Washington Capitals are having a remarkable season. Their offense looks like it did in the Boudreau era. Alex Ovechkin has used sheer sniping to overtake the goals lead from Patrick Kane. Nicklas Backstrom is his elite setup man, and T.J. Oshie has worked well. The emergence of Russian talents Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky has helped the Capitals balance their offense. Justin Williams looks more comfortable in a free-flowing offense, and his playoff experience can't be ignored. However, rarely does the President's Trophy winner even make it to the Stanley Cup. Couple that with the main core of the Capitals lacking playoff success, and they seem prime to be upset in the second or third round. They have to be considered contenders with what they've done so far, but it wouldn't shock anyone to see them bow out early again.
Far below the Capitals, the New York Islanders and Rangers jockey for home ice in what's looking to be their impending first round series. Each team has a number of noticeable flaws. For the Rangers, consistency is one, as well as poor possession numbers. Henrik Lundqvist can't carry the team forever, and the defense isn't enough to turn a series. The Islanders have goaltending problems of their own. Jaroslav Halak is a clear number one when he's healthy, which has been the major caveat to their season. Thomas Greiss has been a good backup, and he might do enough to steal a series if necessary, but he'll fade eventually. Neither team has the scoring depth of the Capitals or even the wild card sides, and the Islanders best trait in particular, their physicality, is not a huge advantage in the playoffs. There's not much to like for either team in the city that never sleeps.
In the Atlantic, the best storyline features the Florida Panthers. Riding the backs of ageless wonders Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo, as well as a bunch of fresh-faced stars in the making, the Panthers have put the NHL on notice. They're a fun and loose team off the ice who keep finding ways to win games and stay relevant despite below-average attendance. There's a quirky mix of veterans and youngsters in supporting roles. Reilly Smith has been a success this year, as has Vincent Trocheck, providing the ever-important secondary scoring. The one thing keeping the Panthers going has been luck, and it appears that luck is fading as they are now third in the Atlantic. They'll probably stay there, but elimination at the hands of the Bruins or Lightning seems likely.
The Boston Bruins are getting one last kick at the can for this season. Patrice Bergeron appears ready to take a major leadership role on the team whenever Zdeno Chara calls it quits, and if Brad Marchand continues playing like this, the Bruins will have to hand him a blank check. The defense is aged and young in all the wrong ways. Torey Krug seems to work well in overtime and on the power play, but not really anywhere else. Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are probably done in a couple of years. Kevan Miller and others are not enough to fix this. At forward, Loui Eriksson is probably going to walk, just to make space for Marchand. The depth is questionable. Rask could carry them, but there's plenty of reason to doubt the legitimacy of the Bruins.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, in some ways quietly and some quite loud, are right back in the fight. While losing Stamkos in free agency is a real concern, and potentially losing Jonathan Drouin over a big disagreement with his superiors also doesn't bode well, the Lightning are tied for the division lead as of this writing. The Triplets line, one of the big headline-grabbers in their run to a Stanley Cup loss last season, is quietly clicking again. The drama around Stamkos hasn't affected his play on the ice. The defense is solid, led by Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. Ben Bishop is having a career year and has room to grow, only overshadowed by the likes of Holtby, Crawford, and Mrazek and the fact that he plays in Florida. The Lightning were close last year, and recent performances suggest they may have the best chance of anyone in the Atlantic to do it again.
In all, the contenders are the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Blackhawks, Stars, Capitals, and Lightning. The rest of the field has a few too many flaws to be taken seriously this season when the games start to count more. With the way the playoffs are structured, it's realistic to see only five of these teams in the second round, which will be where their greatness for this season truly rises above the rest. Of course, there's always a chance some other team will get hot and throw everything out of balance for awhile. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 145
Eight games on the busiest day of the weekdays for this particular week. We begin with...
The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Robin Lehner are called on to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Keith Yandle. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Zuccarello goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead as Jesper Fast scored his tenth of the campaign, thanks to Brassard and Kevin Klein. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jack Eichel and the goalie Johnson. The Sabres pulled closer with a Johan Larsson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a J.T. Miller empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Zuccarello. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Brassard, and Raanta (34 for 36 in saves).
Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Cam Ward are the overrated goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Scott Gomez. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the year, passed from Bobby Ryan. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan Murphy. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jay McClement shorthanded goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Zack Smith, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Curtis Lazar. Carolina retied it on a Skinner goal in the last second of the game, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Victor Rask and Murphy. In the shootout, Mika Zibanejad scored for the Senators, but got beat by Riley Nash and Jaccob Slavin of the Hurricanes, as they won 4-3. The three stars went to Skinner, Muephy, and McClement.
Back north, the New York Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Nick Leddy and Frans Nielsen. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Leddy and Nielsen. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Halak (31 for 32 in saves before removal for injury), Leddy, and Nielsen.
West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets bringing in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Columbus got going in the second period with a David Savard power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Seth Jones. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a David Clarkson goal, his second of the season, passed from Matt Calvert and William Karlsson. Columbus added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson in the third period. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Atkinson scored his twenty-second of the season, a power play goal with helpers from Jones and Wennberg. The Red Wings answered with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Green and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit got closer with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Green, who got a sock trick. Columbus finished it at 5-3 with an Atkinson empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, set up by Jenner and Dubinsky. The three stars went to Atkinson, Jenner, and Green, while Dubinsky, Wennberg, and Jones receive the honorable mentions.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ben Scrivens are between the pipes. Dallas opened in the first period with a Cody Eakin goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jason Demers and Ales Hemsky. Montreal tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Stars took the lead back in the second period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Kris Russell and Jamie Benn. The Canadiens tied it again on a Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Sven Andrighetto and Pacioretty. Montreal took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his second of the season, assisted by Greg Pateryn and Lucas Lessio. Dallas tied it again with a Hemsky goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eakin. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime on a Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, guided in by Markov and Andrighetto. The three stars were awarded to Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, and Hemsky, while Eakin, Markov, and Andrighetto are given the honorable mentions.
Back to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Boston won 1-0 in overtime on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The three stars were Gustavsson (42 save shutout), Marchand, and Bishop (32 for 33 in saves).
Far to the northwest, the Winnipeg Jets host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Drew Stafford goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis. The Predators took the lead with a Colton Sissons goal, his second of the campaign, via Colin Wilson and Shea Weber. Nashville added on in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Wilson and Sissons. The Jets pulled back with a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marko Dano and Alex Burmistrov. The Predators replied with Smith's second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. This resulted in a 4-2 final, with the three stars handed to Smith, Sissons, and Wilson.
Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Cam Talbot are the goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Matt Nieto and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Couture power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead as Pavelski scored his thirty-first of the campaign in the second period, coming off of Paul Martin and Joe Thornton. This stood for an eventual 3-0 final, with the three stars going to Reimer (31 save shutout), Couture, and Pavelski.
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The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Robin Lehner are called on to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Keith Yandle. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Zuccarello goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead as Jesper Fast scored his tenth of the campaign, thanks to Brassard and Kevin Klein. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jack Eichel and the goalie Johnson. The Sabres pulled closer with a Johan Larsson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a J.T. Miller empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Zuccarello. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Brassard, and Raanta (34 for 36 in saves).
Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Cam Ward are the overrated goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Scott Gomez. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the year, passed from Bobby Ryan. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan Murphy. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jay McClement shorthanded goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Zack Smith, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Curtis Lazar. Carolina retied it on a Skinner goal in the last second of the game, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Victor Rask and Murphy. In the shootout, Mika Zibanejad scored for the Senators, but got beat by Riley Nash and Jaccob Slavin of the Hurricanes, as they won 4-3. The three stars went to Skinner, Muephy, and McClement.
Back north, the New York Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Nick Leddy and Frans Nielsen. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Leddy and Nielsen. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Halak (31 for 32 in saves before removal for injury), Leddy, and Nielsen.
West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets bringing in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Columbus got going in the second period with a David Savard power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Seth Jones. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a David Clarkson goal, his second of the season, passed from Matt Calvert and William Karlsson. Columbus added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson in the third period. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Atkinson scored his twenty-second of the season, a power play goal with helpers from Jones and Wennberg. The Red Wings answered with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Green and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit got closer with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Green, who got a sock trick. Columbus finished it at 5-3 with an Atkinson empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, set up by Jenner and Dubinsky. The three stars went to Atkinson, Jenner, and Green, while Dubinsky, Wennberg, and Jones receive the honorable mentions.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ben Scrivens are between the pipes. Dallas opened in the first period with a Cody Eakin goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jason Demers and Ales Hemsky. Montreal tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Stars took the lead back in the second period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Kris Russell and Jamie Benn. The Canadiens tied it again on a Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Sven Andrighetto and Pacioretty. Montreal took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his second of the season, assisted by Greg Pateryn and Lucas Lessio. Dallas tied it again with a Hemsky goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eakin. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime on a Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, guided in by Markov and Andrighetto. The three stars were awarded to Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, and Hemsky, while Eakin, Markov, and Andrighetto are given the honorable mentions.
Back to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Boston won 1-0 in overtime on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The three stars were Gustavsson (42 save shutout), Marchand, and Bishop (32 for 33 in saves).
Far to the northwest, the Winnipeg Jets host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Drew Stafford goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis. The Predators took the lead with a Colton Sissons goal, his second of the campaign, via Colin Wilson and Shea Weber. Nashville added on in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Wilson and Sissons. The Jets pulled back with a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marko Dano and Alex Burmistrov. The Predators replied with Smith's second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. This resulted in a 4-2 final, with the three stars handed to Smith, Sissons, and Wilson.
Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Cam Talbot are the goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Matt Nieto and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Couture power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead as Pavelski scored his thirty-first of the campaign in the second period, coming off of Paul Martin and Joe Thornton. This stood for an eventual 3-0 final, with the three stars going to Reimer (31 save shutout), Couture, and Pavelski.
Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.
Monday, March 7, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 144
Seven games on for today's schedule, beginning with...
The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Steve Mason are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Slater Koekkoek and Tyler Johnson. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Raffl and Sean Couturier. The Flyers took the lead with another Gostisbehere goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, a power play goal made possible by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. Philadelphia added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Lightning got one back with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Simmonds empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Schenn. The three stars went to Gostisbehere, Schenn, and Giroux, while Simmonds and Johnson get the honorable mentions.
Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Garret Sparks are the unknown goalies. Toronto opened with a Leo Komarov goal in the first period, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Soshnikov and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Brad Boyes power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Connor Carrick and Jake Gardiner. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Mark Pysyk goal, via Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart. Toronto answered with a Zach Hyman goal, courtesy of Michael Grabner and Ben Smith. The Sabres pulled back in the third period on a Jack Eichel goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Matt Moulson and Cal O'Reilly. Buffalo tied it on a Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Reinhart. The Sabres won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Reinhart. The three stars belonged to Reinhart, Kane, and Eichel.
Way south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Lee Stempniak. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Matt Beleskey and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston extended the lead as Brett Connolly scored his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Noel Acciari. Florida got on the board with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the season, via Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Bruins replied with a Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Stempniak and Marchand. Al Montoya replaced Luongo for the second period. The Panthers pulled back on a Jiri Hudler goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. Florida edged closer with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers tied it in the third period on a Hudler goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. Boston won it 5-4 in overtime with a Stempniak goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, fueled by Ryan Spooner and John-Michael Liles. The three stars were Stempniak, Bergeron, and Hudler, while Marchand and Huberdeau get the honorable mentions.
Northwest quite a ways to Calgary, where the Flames host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Joni Ortio are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period with an unassisted Brent Burns goal, his twenty-fourth of the season. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Joe Colborne power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, helped along by Burns and Joe Thornton. The three stars were awarded to Burns, Jones (47 for 48 in saves), and Pavelski.
Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado started in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Francois Beauchemin and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Blake Comeau and Mikhail Grigorenko. Colorado extended the lead as Grigorenko scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Duchene and Jarome Iginla. Arizona got on the board with a Boyd Gordon goal, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Kevin Connauton. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars given to Duchene, Grigorenko, and Varlamov (37 for 38 in saves).
In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and John Gibson are the solid young goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by David Perron and Simon Despres. Washington tied it in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. In the shootout, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom put the Capitals at a 2-1 win over a lone tally by the Ducks' Corey Perry. The three stars went to Holtby (27 for 28 in saves), Gibson (31 for 32 in saves), and Burakovsky.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Dan Hamhuis goal, his second of the season, helped along by Linden Vey and Daniel Sedin. Los Angeles tied it with a Drew Doughty goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Rob Scuderi and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Kopitar power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Kopitar. The Kings extended the lead as Vincent Lecavalier scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Alec Martinez. Los Angeles padded the lead with a Carter empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Milan Lucic. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Doughty, and Carter.
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The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Steve Mason are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Slater Koekkoek and Tyler Johnson. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Raffl and Sean Couturier. The Flyers took the lead with another Gostisbehere goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, a power play goal made possible by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. Philadelphia added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Lightning got one back with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Simmonds empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Schenn. The three stars went to Gostisbehere, Schenn, and Giroux, while Simmonds and Johnson get the honorable mentions.
Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Garret Sparks are the unknown goalies. Toronto opened with a Leo Komarov goal in the first period, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Soshnikov and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Brad Boyes power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Connor Carrick and Jake Gardiner. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Mark Pysyk goal, via Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart. Toronto answered with a Zach Hyman goal, courtesy of Michael Grabner and Ben Smith. The Sabres pulled back in the third period on a Jack Eichel goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Matt Moulson and Cal O'Reilly. Buffalo tied it on a Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Reinhart. The Sabres won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Reinhart. The three stars belonged to Reinhart, Kane, and Eichel.
Way south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Lee Stempniak. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Matt Beleskey and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston extended the lead as Brett Connolly scored his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Noel Acciari. Florida got on the board with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the season, via Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Bruins replied with a Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Stempniak and Marchand. Al Montoya replaced Luongo for the second period. The Panthers pulled back on a Jiri Hudler goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. Florida edged closer with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers tied it in the third period on a Hudler goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. Boston won it 5-4 in overtime with a Stempniak goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, fueled by Ryan Spooner and John-Michael Liles. The three stars were Stempniak, Bergeron, and Hudler, while Marchand and Huberdeau get the honorable mentions.
Northwest quite a ways to Calgary, where the Flames host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Joni Ortio are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period with an unassisted Brent Burns goal, his twenty-fourth of the season. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Joe Colborne power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, helped along by Burns and Joe Thornton. The three stars were awarded to Burns, Jones (47 for 48 in saves), and Pavelski.
Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado started in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Francois Beauchemin and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Blake Comeau and Mikhail Grigorenko. Colorado extended the lead as Grigorenko scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Duchene and Jarome Iginla. Arizona got on the board with a Boyd Gordon goal, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Kevin Connauton. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars given to Duchene, Grigorenko, and Varlamov (37 for 38 in saves).
In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and John Gibson are the solid young goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by David Perron and Simon Despres. Washington tied it in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. In the shootout, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom put the Capitals at a 2-1 win over a lone tally by the Ducks' Corey Perry. The three stars went to Holtby (27 for 28 in saves), Gibson (31 for 32 in saves), and Burakovsky.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Dan Hamhuis goal, his second of the season, helped along by Linden Vey and Daniel Sedin. Los Angeles tied it with a Drew Doughty goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Rob Scuderi and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Kopitar power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Kopitar. The Kings extended the lead as Vincent Lecavalier scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Alec Martinez. Los Angeles padded the lead with a Carter empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Milan Lucic. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Doughty, and Carter.
Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.
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