Gameday 12 (Wed, 30 Jan) - Results

Montreal v Ottawa 1-5 - The oldest and youngest Senators, Daniel Alfredsson and Mika Zibanejad, both scored during a three-goal second-period burst as Ottawa ended Montreal's four-game winning streak by beating the Canadiens 5-1 on Wednesday night. Alfredsson, the Senators' 40-year-old captain, broke a 1-1 tie when he beat Peter Budaj at 7:27 of the second period. Zibanejad, who turns 20 in April, scored his first NHL goal 1:58 later, blasting a shot off Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin and into the net as the Senators converted both halves of a double minor to Ryan White. Chris Phillips made it 4-1 at 11:02, and that was more than enough support for goaltender Craig Anderson, who made 31 saves to win for the second straight night and improve to 5-0-1 in his six appearances this season. Jim O'Brien and Chris Neil also scored for Ottawa, now 5-1-1 in its first seven games. Colin Greening, Zack Smith and Andre Benoit each had two assists as a dozen Senators hit the scoresheet. Tomas Plekanec scored the only goal for Montreal (4-2-0), which hadn't lost since opening night. Peter Budaj, making his first start of the season in place of starter Carey Price, stopped 22 shots. Montreal struck first after Phillips was called for interference at 5:18 of the opening period. Andrei Markov's first shot went off of Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson's stick and deflected to Plekanec. Anderson made the initial pad save but the rebound went back to Plekanec. The puck then hit the skate of Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot went between the feet of a stumbling Anderson at 5:31. It was the first power-play goal allowed by the Senators at home this season. O'Brien tied it 7:53 when O'Brien picked up the rebound of Karlsson's point shot and beat Budaj for his second goal in two games. The Senators made White pay when he was called for roughing and assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing the call at 7:24 of the second period, giving Ottawa a four-minute advantage. Right off the faceoff, Alfredsson picked up the deflection of Patrick Wiercioch's shot from the high slot and went top shelf to beat Budaj for his 417th career goal. Zibanejad, who had an assist in his NHL debut on Tuesday, then got the first goal of his NHL career when his point shot found its way into the net at 9:25. Phillips took a pass from Smith and blasted a slapper over Budaj's shoulder 97 seconds later for a 4-1 lead. Neil's completed the scoring with 5:14 left in regulation when his wraparound deflected into the net off Budaj's left foot. Anderson leads the NHL with a goals-against average of 0.99 and a .967 save percentage. Two of his best saves came off Brandon Prust in the third period, one on a point-blank shot at 4:17 and another seven minutes later when the Montreal forward attempted to go high on Anderson, who made the stop with the paddle of his stick. It was a frustrating night for the Canadiens, who never recovered after Ottawa's flurry of goals in the second period. Ottawa won without two of its top players – first-line center Jason Spezza was absent for a second straight game with an upper-body injury, while defenseman Sergei Gonchar was a late scratch with a lower-body ailment. Coach Paul MacLean did not have an update regarding Spezza, and it is unclear whether he will travel to Raleigh with the team for their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Gonchar's injury was sustained against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, and MacLean said he expects the 38-year-old defenseman to travel with the team.

Chicago v Minnesota 2-3 - It wasn't a bad run for the Chicago Blackhawks to start the 2012-13 campaign. But after finding a way to win four straight one-goal games, and six overall, the Blackhawks were on the losing end of a one-goal difference Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. A Matt Cullen goal early in the game and again in the shootout was just enough for the Wild as they handed the Blackhawks their first loss of the season, 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center. The loss was a bitter way to start a critical six-game road trip, especially since the Blackhawks controlled much of the final half of the game. If not for Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who entered the game in relief of an ineffective Josh Harding just 6:45 into the game, Chicago's win streak would likely be at seven. Backstrom's stopped all 28 shots he faced, including 17 in the third period and overtime. Minnesota came out red-hot early, blanketing Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford with several shots in the opening couple minutes before Cullen slammed home a rebound just 1:30 into the contest, giving the Wild an early 1-0 lead. But Chicago responded with a couple of good shifts right after. Shaw tied the game at 5:14 thanks to a nifty play by linemate Bryan Bickell, who went to the net with the puck from the left corner and centered a pass to a crashing Shaw in the slot for his first of the season. Just 90 seconds later, Toews and Brandon Saad cruised into the Wild zone 2-on-2 before Toews snapped a bad angle shot from the left circle through Harding's five-hole to give Chicago the lead. That was enough for Wild coach Mike Yeo to make the move, as Harding appeared to be fighting the puck from the start. What should have been a fairly routine save a couple of minutes earlier had ricocheted off the crossbar. He had also made an awkward blocker save just before Toews' tally. Backstrom rewarded Yeo's bold move, finding his groove early on before being tested several times later in the contest. The relief appearance was just Backstrom's third in the last three years and first since Nov. 12, 2011. Still down one early in the second, Minnesota got a great opening shift of the period from its third line. The grouping scored the tying goal just 59 seconds in, as Cal Clutterbuck scored his first of the season, deflecting a Tom Gilbert shot from the point. Gilbert's assist gave him at least one point in four straight games for just the third time in his career and leaves him one game short of his career long of five straight games, achieved in April 2010. After being outshot 15-7 through 20 minutes, Chicago out-chanced Minnesota 19-6 during the second and third periods, but could get nothing past Backstrom. Zach Parise opened the shootout with a goal for the Wild but was matched by Toews, his former University of North Dakota linemate. Mikko Koivu shot high in round two and Backstrom stopped Patrick Kane before Cullen's forehand snapshot beat Crawford five-hole for the win. Patrick Sharp rang the post as he attempted to extend the shootout and keep the Hawks win streak alive.

Edmonton v Phoenix 2-1 - The Edmonton Oilers have left many NHL barns during the past few seasons with plenty of black-and-blue marks and no points. They are serving notice that the times might be changing, and their latest marquee draft pick is leading the way. Nail Yakupov, the first player taken in last June's NHL Draft, batted a power-play rebound just off the ice and into the net 3:52 in overtime, his fourth goal in his sixth NHL game, as the Oilers allowed the tying goal in the dying seconds of regulation but rebounded to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Wednesday night. Nick Johnson scored a 6-on-4 power play goal with 19 seconds left in regulation to earn the Coyotes a point, but Yakupov's third power-play goal of the season earned Edmonton the extra point. Lennart Petrell scored 4:51 into the game for Edmonton and goalie Devan Dubnyk made the lead stand up until Nick Johnson knocked in rebound on the doorstep after Phoenix pulled goaltender Chad Johnson for an extra attacker. But Phoenix center Antoine Vermette caught Edmonton's Jordan Eberle with a high stick 2:22 into overtime, Taylor Hall's shot caromed off teammate Ryan Whitney's hand and Yakupov was waiting. Phoenix had won five straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings with the Oilers dating back to the 2009-10 season. Dubnyk lost all four meetings with Phoenix last season and was 1-4-2 in seven career starts before making 27 saves this time. Chad Johnson, who shut out Nashville in his Phoenix debut on Monday, played well again with 19 saves. Phoenix played without five regulars including leading scorer Steve Sullivan, who missed the game with an upper-body injury. Despite dressing only 11 forwards, which forced coach Dave Tippett to mix and match lines all night, Phoenix (2-4-1) had several choice scoring chances but couldn't solve Dubnyk until Nick Johnson's late goal. The Oilers came into the game with the NHL's No. 1 power play, having scored 10 of their 14 goals with the man advantage. They came up empty on their first three chances Wednesday, but cashed in when they needed one to win. The Oilers took a quick lead when veteran Ryan Smyth, scoreless in his first five games, made a power move from behind the Phoenix net and put a backhand shot on net. Chad Johnson made the save, but Petrell charged up the slot for the rebound and put it up and over Johnson for his first goal of the season. The Coyotes pushed hard for the equalizer. Seconds after Sam Gagner hit the crossbar for Edmonton in the second period, Dubnyk made two huge saves – one on Alexandre Bolduc in the slot and another on Nick Johnson from just outside the blue paint to protect the lead. Early in the third period, Oliver Ekman-Larsson sent Vermette in alone with a long stretch pass, but Dubnyk outguessed the Phoenix center to make the stop with the blocker. Phoenix got one last chances when Gagner was called for interference with 1:46 left, and the Coyotes pulled Chad Johnson for a two-man skating advantage. It finally paid off when Radim Vrbata's backhander was stopped but the rebound deflected off David Moss and was left sitting for Nick Johnson to tie the game. Derek Morris hit the post for Phoenix before Vermette's high-sticking penalty led to Yakupov's game-winner. In addition to Sullivan, the Coyotes played without goalie Mike Smith (groin), forwards Martin Hanzal (lower body) and Raffi Torres (suspension) and defenseman Rostislav Klesla (lower body). Former Coyote Nikolai Khabibulin, now 40 years old, dressed as the backup goalie for Edmonton in his first game of the season.
Colorado v Vancouver 0-3 - Roberto Luongo was dissecting a start he didn't expect and another shutout for a team he thought he'd never play for again after last season when he spotted a Toronto reporter in the crowd gathered three deep around his locker stall. After losing the No.1 job to Cory Schneider just three games into the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring, Luongo figured he was finished in Vancouver, agreeing publicly to waive his no-trade clause to clear the path for his good friend to take over in the Canucks' net. Even after that trade failed to materialize and Luongo returned, he never expected to be back where he was Wednesday night, starting a second-straight game ahead of Schneider and making 24 saves to build on his franchise records for wins (225) and shutouts (33). The question now is whether he'll get a chance to build on it against rival Chicago on Friday. Coach Alain Vigneault said he'd announce his starter Thursday. Luongo couldn't remember the last time he didn't get to follow up a shutout, but insisted he isn't worried about it. Most expected Schneider, who has played well since getting pulled on opening night, to be back in goal Wednesday despite Luongo playing well in a 3-2 shootout loss in Los Angeles on Monday. Instead Luongo, a notorious slow starter, got a chance to build some momentum. After a lucky break in the opening minute, Luongo did just that. He made his best save on a shorthanded Matt Duchene breakaway early in the third period to keep Vancouver up by two, a big save for a team that has already blown three two-goal leads this season. He also got Jason Garrison's first goal as a Canuck, and fourth-line center Maxim Lapierre's first of the season before Zack Kassian rounded out the scoring with his fifth on a power play, moving Vancouver above .500 for the first time this season (3-2-2). The Avalanche have plenty to complain about after dropping a third-straight game and falling to 0-4 on the road this season, especially when it comes to health. Captain Gabriel Landeskog (head/leg) missed a second game after taking a big hit in San Jose last Saturday, and Colorado is also missing other top-six forwards Steve Downie (knee) and Ryan O'Reilly (contract holdout). That doesn't help a power play that had a great chance to get back in the game, but didn't manage a shot during an 85-second 5-on-3 advantage late in the period. Colorado failed on four chances overall, and fell to 1-for-19 on the power play this season. Some of their best came in the first five minutes. Luongo, though, was good, and lucky, when his team was outplayed early. Jan Hejda's point shot trickled through him and towards the goal line in the opening minute, but as Luongo spun back to cover it, the puck hit the knob on the end of his stick and straight into the crease. Jamie McGinn fired it right into the back of the sprawled goaltender. There was nothing lucky about his save on John Mitchell in the slot with 1:06 left to play to preserve his 61st career shutout, second only to New Jersey's Martin Brodeur on the active list and 16th all-time. Garrison considers himself lucky to be playing for the team he grew up cheering, even if the six-year, $27.6-million free agent contract he signed last summer after scoring 16 goals in Florida the year before comes with additional pressure. He eased some of it by opening the scoring on Vancouver's first shot 7:34 into the period, blasting a loose puck at the blue line through the legs of Semyon Varlamov. Lapierre doubled the lead with 4:48 left in the second period with a 2-on-1 shot through also through Varlamov's legs, and Kassian tapped in a perfect cross-ice pass on the power play from Dan Hamhuis five minutes after Luongo turned aside Duchene's breakaway.