Results - Tue, Mar 04, 2014

Florida @ Boston 1-4 - The Panthers made a potentially franchise-altering trade Tuesday that might result in a brighter future. In the present, the Panthers weren't able to stop David Krejci and the Boston Bruins or prevent their fifth loss in six games. Krejci scored a hat trick and goaltender Chad Johnson remained perfect at TD Garden in a 4-1 Bruins win on the day the Panthers reacquired goaltender Roberto Luongo from the Vancouver Canucks. Krejci scored one goal in each period, with the third one going into an empty net with 13.3 seconds left. Jarome Iginla also scored for the Bruins, who are 5-1-2 in their past eight games. Johnson made 23 saves and is 7-0-0 at home. The Bruins have won two in a row after they went 0-1-1 in their first two games coming out of the Olympic break. Boston allowed 12 goals in its prior three games, but coach Claude Julien said he saw some improvements. Tim Thomas made 35 saves for the Panthers (23-32-7). But most of the focus the day before the NHL Trade Deadline was on the return of Luongo, who played for the Panthers from 2000-06. Florida also acquired forward Steve Anthony in exchange for forward Shawn Matthias and goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Florida coach Peter Horachek did not want to use the busy day off the ice (the Panthers also traded defenseman Mike Weaver to the Montreal Canadiens and signed forward Brad Boyes to a two-year contract extension) as an excuse. The Bruins (39-17-5), who allowed the first goal in each of their prior three games, played from ahead against the Panthers. It took 7:29 for Krejci to get Boston on the scoreboard; the center intercepted a Tom Gilbert pass down low and beat Thomas with a high shot from the slot. Krejci earlier intercepted a pass at the red line and dumped the puck into the Florida end. Iginla put the Bruins ahead 2-0 at 11:01. He made a cross-ice pass to Jordan Caron, then one-timed a rebound of Caron's shot past Thomas from the right faceoff dot. The Bruins outshot the Panthers 14-7 in the first period. Krejci extended the Bruins' lead to 3-0 with a wrist shot from the high slot high to the stick side at 19:12 of the second period. Florida defenseman Dylan Olsen blocked Kevan Miller's point shot, but the deflection went to a wide-open Krejci. Brian Campbell scored for Florida at 12:47 of the third period on a spinning backhand from the blue line. Over the course of the game, the Panthers hit the post at least four times.
Detroit @ New Jersey 3-4 - Whether Martin Brodeur is still a member of the only organization he's played for in his professional career after the NHL Trade Deadline passes Wednesday, he won't soon forget the 684th victory of his career. Stephen Gionta made the victory possible when he redirected Mark Fayne's shot from the right point past goalie Jimmy Howard with 36.6 seconds remaining in regulation to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday at Prudential Center. Brodeur, who has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, made 20 saves to earn his 15th win of the season. It was an emotional evening for Brodeur and the sellout crowd of 16,592. The chants of "Marty! Marty!" began early and continued throughout the game. It seemed rather fitting the 41-year-old goalie would make three consecutive saves against veteran forward Daniel Alfredsson to ultimately give his team one final chance in the end. The Devils rewarded Brodeur for those keys stops, outshooting (14-4) and outscoring (3-1) the Red Wings during the final 20 minutes to secure the victory for their longtime goalie. Gionta actually retrieved the game puck for Brodeur after the dramatic finish. The loss dropped the Red Wings one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, a 4-2 winner against the Dallas Stars, in the race for the second of two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Columbus has 69 points, the Red Wings and Washington Capitals have 68, and the Devils have 67. The fans were electric throughout, and for good reason. Not only was it a critical game in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but there had been speculation during the day that the game might mark the final appearance for Brodeur in a Devils jersey. The Red Wings tied the game at 3-3 when Todd Bertuzzi scored a power-play goal 9:43 into the third. Johan Franzen's shot from the left hash deflected off Bertuzzi's leg and past Brodeur. Travis Zajac had given the Devils a 3-2 lead off a rebound from low in the left circle at 6:30. Howard (25 saves) was out of position on the play after making the initial save on a shot by Jaromir Jagr. Jagr's assist on Zajac's goal moved him into ninth place on the NHL's all-time list. It was the 1,041st of his career, one more than Marcel Dionne. He is eight behind Gordie Howe (1,049) for eighth place. With the NHL Trade Deadline set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, Brodeur's name has surfaced as a potential target of contenders. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello refuted a report in the New York Daily News earlier in the day that a trade with the Minnesota Wild was imminent. The Wild acquired Ilya 'Swiss Cheese' Bryzgalov from the Edmonton Oilers earlier Tuesday. Still, fans in attendance weren't exactly sure what to think, and they cheered the veteran goalie every chance they got. The appreciation for Brodeur, who was playing in his 1,250th career game, all with New Jersey, began even before the national anthem was sung, with those familiar chants of "Marty! Marty!" The Devils pulled into a 2-2 tie on a power-play goal 41 seconds into the third when Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson accidentally hit Howard's glove, dislodging the puck and sending it across the goal line. Elias, who was in the crease bumping with Ericsson, had an assist on the goal, which was credited to defenseman Marek Zidlicky. Howard pleaded with the officials for goalie interference, but the goal was upheld. The Red Wings took their first lead 7:03 into the second when defenseman Brendan Smith collected a pass from Justin Abdelkader at the left hash and lined a shot just inside the left post. Brodeur was then called upon to make a big save against Bertuzzi at 12:21. After an initial shot by Luke Glendening hit a stick in front, Brodeur rolled over on his back and stopped Bertuzzi with his left pad high in the air. The Red Wings pulled into a 1-1 tie 11:26 into the first period when Franzen scored his fourth goal in two games. With Detroit on a power play. Franzen stole the puck from Dainius Zubrus in the slot and stickhandled past Andy Greene before roofing a shot at the right post that beat Brodeur to the short side. Henrique gave the Devils the lead 27 seconds into the game by jamming home an unassisted goal under Howard's left pad. Howard appeared to smother the puck with his glove, but he failed to freeze it and inadvertently knocked it across the goal line with the back of his leg. A video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line legally. The goal was the fifth in four games for Henrique since the Olympic break. The Red Wings, who are seeking a 23rd consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, were without captain Henrik Zetterberg (back surgery), Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), Jakub Kindl (lower body) and Daniel Cleary (knee).
Tampa Bay @ St Louis 2-4 - The Blues fell behind 2-0 for the second straight game, but Steen's team-leading 29th goal of the season capped a come-from-behind 4-2 victory against the Lightning at Scottrade Center. Oshie had a goal and an assist, Patrik Berglund scored and Miller stopped 15 shots for his second win in as many games in a Blues uniform after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Steen also had an assist, the 200th of his career. Vladimir Tarasenko scored an empty-netter with 39 seconds remaining to secure the victory for the Blues. He also had an assist. David Backes and Jaden Schwartz had two assists each. Miller, whose 15 saves were the second-fewest in his career following a victory, was appreciative. He also heard the loud roars from the 18,602 in attendance when he was announced in the starting lineup. Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson scored for the Lightning, who dropped their seventh in 10 games and third in four as Tampa Bay wrapped up a four-game trip. Ben Bishop stopped 25 shots in his first game as an opponent in the city where he grew up. The Lightning made the most of their six first-period shots, getting goals from Killorn and Johnson. Killorn converted from the slot with a wrister at 7:08 after Teddy Purcell picked off Kevin Shattenkirk's pass. On Tampa Bay's initial power play, Johnson also scored from the slot on a tic-tac-toe passing play with Sami Salo and St. Louis at 14:49, with Brenden Morrow serving a minor penalty for high sticking. The line of Backes, Steen and Oshie worked the finishing touches on Steen's go-ahead goal. Backes fed Steen in the left circle and the Blues forward was able to lift a backhand over Bishop's glove hand 3:47 into the final period. The Blues entered the second period down 2-0, but were able to rally. Berglund's third in two games and 11th of the season brought the Blues within one 3:32 into the second. He fired a wrister from a sharp angle in the left circle after Bishop made an initial save on Schwartz.
Hitchcock likes what he's getting from Berglund and linemates Tarasenko and Schwartz. "This is now three games in a row when they've really played well," Hitchcock said. "Bergie's playing great. It's the best he's played all year."
The Blues' penalty-killers had a chip on their shoulders after having to kill a late penalty when Backes was called for slashing Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. But it was the Blues with the better chances and Oshie cashed in at 17:04 to tie the game 2-2. Oshie's shorthanded goal was the Blues' third of the season after he took a drop pass from Steen and deked past Hedman and Martin St. Louis before beating Bishop with a backhander.
NY Islanders @ Winnipeg 3-2 OT - Michael Grabner took a feed from Cal Clutterbuck, sped through the Winnipeg defense in the neutral zone and raced in alone to beat goaltender Ondrej Pavelec with 1:07 remaining in OT. The Islanders began a Canadian road trip without captain John Tavares, who's gone for the season with a knee injury sustained at the Sochi Olympics. A few hours before game time, they traded top-four defenseman Andrew MacDonald to the Philadelphia Flyers for two draft picks, and they scratched forward Thomas Vanek in preparation for a possible trade Wednesday. Even without MacDonald, Tavares and Vanek, the Islanders carried the play for much of the game until the Jets tied the game at 2-2 with 5:07 left in regulation on the second of captain Andrew Ladd's two goals, a breakaway after a turnover by New York's Josh Bailey with the teams playing 4-on-4. The loss left the Jets with 67 points in the race for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. The Jets and Phoenix Coyotes are one point behind the Dallas Stars, who hold the second of two wild-card spots in the Western Conference. Indeed, the Jets received some scoreboard help thanks to the Stars' 4-2 road loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Coyotes beat the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 and are ahead of the Jets in the standings because they've played one fewer game. The Canucks remain stuck at 66 points. Colin McDonald scored his fifth goal at 17:30 of the first period after Ladd had put the Jets ahead at 10:57. Rookie Anders Lee's third goal of the season on a breakaway early in the second period put the Islanders up 2-1. The Jets lost second-line rookie center Mark Scheifele 11:18 into the second period after a collision with Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan. Scheifele left the game with an apparent lower-body injury and did not return. The Jets' medical staff will evaluate Scheifele on Wednesday morning. Anders Nilsson gave veteran Evgeni Nabokov a night off and stopped 36 shots. Nilsson got the start after a poor showing Sunday in a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers; his performance repaid Capuano for the coach's faith in the 23-year-old goaltender. The Jets' 24th-ranked power play continued its season-long struggles, going 0-for-5. The Islanders allowed five goals on 12 shorthanded situations in two losses this past weekend. Ladd beat Nilsson on the Jets' fourth shot of the game. Center Bryan Little won a right-circle offensive-zone draw and worked the puck into the slot to Ladd, who snapped a shot low past Nilsson. McDonald evened the score with 2:30 left in the period. Ryan Strome's shot caromed off the end boards to McDonald, who flicked the puck into the net before Pavelec could recover. Lee, who made his season debut Feb. 27 against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a two-goal performance, put the Islanders ahead when he broke loose from the Winnipeg defense and skate in alone on Pavelec. Lee's first shot was stopped, but he swatted the rebound past Pavelec 1:33 into the second period. MacDonald established himself as an NHL regular during the 2009-10 season after parts of four seasons in the American Hockey League and logged 295 games with the Islanders. If Vanek does depart the Islanders on Wednesday, they will again need to regroup before meeting the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. If Scheifele's injury is serious, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will have some significant decisions to make Wednesday. After the deadline, a visit from the Los Angeles Kings awaits the Jets on Thursday. If the Jets were tight against the Islanders, the pressure only figures to intensify against the NHL's stingiest defense.
Ottawa @ Edmonton 2-3 - One of Ales Hemsky's best performances with the Edmonton Oilers this season may very well have been his last. Hemsky scored two goals to lead the Oilers to a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at Rexall Place. Hemsky, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, is expected to be traded by the Oilers prior to the NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Jordan Eberle also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a three-game losing streak (0-1-2). Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson scored for the Senators. Spezza opened the scoring at 5:22 of the first period, converting a Milan Michalek centering feed from the slot. The Senators controlled the play in the early stages; the Oilers did not record their first shot on net until there were less than nine minutes left in the first period. Hemsky responded at 14:30 with the Oilers on the power play, getting around Senators defenseman Chris Phillips before cutting to the net and tucking a shot underneath Anderson. In the second period, Hemsky gave the Oilers the lead at 8:58, taking a drop pass from Sam Gagner and snapping a shot past Anderson. It was the first time this season Hemsky has scored two goals in a game. Earlier in the period, Hemsky was able to avoid a big hit from Senators right wing Chris Neil that had hearts skipping beats in the building. Neil had Hemsky lined up in the neutral zone, but let up on the play. Hemsky saw Neil at the last second and bailed on the hit. An injury to Hemsky would jeopardize any trade possibilities. With the Oilers out of the playoff race, the team is looking to collect assets for their impending free agents. Eberle made it 3-1 with his 20th goal at 4:24 of the third period. He broke out on a rush with Boyd Gordon, who took a drop pass from Eberle. Gordon's shot hit a skate on the way to the net and rolled to Eberle, who stuffed it past Anderson. Karlsson, the NHL scoring leader among defenseman, cut the lead to 3-2 with a goal off on an individual rush at 17:05. He gained the zone and fired a shot through Scrivens. Moments prior to Karlsson's goal, Oilers defenseman Nick Schultz had cleared a puck off the goal line behind Scrivens. The Oilers managed to hang on to the win as the Senators pressed with a late power play. If Hemsky is traded Wednesday, he finish his career with the Oilers having played 652 regular-season games with the team, scoring 142 goals and 335 assists for 477 points.