Results - Sat, October 12, 2013

Boston v Columbus 3-1 - Although Oct. 12 is the traditionally recognized date for Columbus Day, before it officially become a holiday on the second Monday of October, Saturday was not Columbus' day, not after the Boston Bruins left Nationwide Arena with a 3-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in a matinee before a crowd of 14,092 that included a significant contingent rooting for the visitors. Columbus fashions itself as a speedy team but found space hard to come by as the Bruins applied their usual physical game and took control in the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock. Loui Eriksson scored the go-ahead goal 49 seconds into the final period and Milan Lucic hit the empty net with 33 seconds left to drop Columbus to 0-2-0 at home. The Blue Jackets are 2-0-0 on the road. The Blue Jackets had a first period power-play goal by Johnson but could not put any of their next 24 shots past Rask. Chris Kelly evened the score late in the second to set the stage for Eriksson's winner. Transitioning off a turnover, Eriksson took a backhand feed through the slot from Patrice Bergeron in the lower right circle and squeezed a backhander of his own between the glove of Sergei Bobrovsky and the right post for his first goal with the Bruins after arriving in a blockbuster offseason trade with the Dallas Stars. Earlier, Kelly got the equalizer at 16:18 of the second. He was 12 seconds removed from the completion of his hooking penalty when he moved across the blue line and fired a shot that fooled Bobrovsky for his second goal. Boston had a prime opportunity to tie the score early in the middle stanza when the Blue Jackets' Boone Jenner received a double minor for high sticking Adam McQuaid. But the Bruins got only one shot on the first 2:13 of power-play time before MacKenzie drew a tripping call on Dennis Seidenberg to negate the rest of the advantage. The Blue Jackets' offense was non-existent for nearly the first 19 minutes of the game, but thanks to their second power play, they were able to cash in for the 1-0 lead. Boston threw its weight around and was able to limit the Jackets to only two shots until Patrice Bergeron was whistled for holding at 18:18. Columbus worked the puck in the zone to score on its third shot of the period at 18:52. Johnson took a cross-ice pass from James Wisniewski at the upper perimeter of the right circle and one-timed the puck past Rask to give the Blue Jackets their third power-play goal in 11 tries this season. Boston managed only seven shots in the first period but almost grabbed the game's first score 15 minutes in as Torey Krug was left alone as he skated in from the left point. But Bobrovsky held his ground and forced Krug to go below the goal line before cutting back and trying unsuccessfully to stuff the puck at the near post.
Edmonton v Toronto 5-6 - Dallas Eakins, who was hired by the Edmonton Oilers last summer after coaching the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, saw Lupul score with 31 seconds left in regulation to tie the game before Bolland won it 2:09 into overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a 6-5 victory on Saturday night. Bolland finished off a 3-on-1 rush as the Maple Leafs won their second straight and improved to 5-1-0. Devan Dubnyk stopped Cody Franson's blast but was helpless to prevent Bolland from putting the rebound into a wide-open net. Lupul and James van Riemsdyk each scored twice and Nazem Kadri had the other goal for Toronto, which overcame four one-goal deficits. Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves. Bolland, who joined the Maple Leafs this summer after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in June, has given Toronto's a boost on and off the ice. Ryan Smyth scored twice for Edmonton, which has dropped four of its first five. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Boyd Gordon and Jordan Eberle had the other goals for the Oilers, and Mark Arcobello contributed three assists. Devan Dubnyk was beaten six times on 26 shots as the Oilers lost the opener of a six-game road trip. Eberle's pass deflected off Smyth's skate and past Bernier 5:21 into the game to put Edmonton ahead. Kadri tied it at 9:47 when his bad-angled shot from near the goal line on the left side went over Dubnyk's shoulder. Van Riemsdyk's power-play tip-in at 15:26 put Toronto ahead for the first time, but Nugent-Hopkins tied it at 18:10 by scoring during a 5-on-3 power play. David Perron's backhanded pass set up Gordon's tap-in 1:02 into the second period. Lupul got the Maple Leafs even at 5:20 when he one-timed Kadri's feed past Dubnyk's glove. Eberle's blast over Bernier's left shoulder 5:29 into the third period, his first goal of the season, put Edmonton back in front. Van Riemsdyk scored his second of the night on a wraparound at 9:55, but Smyth gave the Oilers their final lead at 11:27 when he converted a feed from Eberle.

NY Rangers v St Louis 3-5 - The St. Louis Blues' top line gets plenty of accolades for its defensive game and shutting down the opposition's top line. But the trio has come out of the gates flying in 2013-14, with a plethora of offensive production. Alexander Steen, David Backes and T.J. Oshie combined for nine points Saturday night, with Steen leading the way with his first four-point game since Dec. 21, 2009, with a goal and three assists. The Blues have opened the season with four straight wins after a 5-3 victory against the New York Rangers at Scottrade Center. Backes scored twice and had an assist, and Oshie contributed a pair of assists. The threesome has combined for 18 points in four games as the Blues opened a season by going 4-0-0 for the first time in franchise history. It was also the Blues' 10th straight regular-season home ice win dating back to last season. They're known for their ability to match up against top players and shut them down, but the bounces are falling into place and Steen, Backes and Oshie are finding ways to contribute offensively. On a night when the Blues didn't play their best, their top line grabbed the team on its shoulders and carried the load. The Rangers, who dropped to 1-4-0 on their season-opening nine-game trip, got a goal and two assists from Brad Richards, and Ryan Callahan notched his first two goals of the season. Martin Biron spelled starter Henrik Lundqvist in goal and recorded 13 saves, but was replaced by Lundqvist at the start of the third period. Steen scored his fourth of the season and fourth in as many games when he followed Oshie's shot up to the net and slammed it past Biron for a 1-0 Blues lead 5:38 into the game. The Rangers settled in and eventually got the equalizer with 5.8 seconds remaining in the first, when Callahan was on the doorstep and backhanded Richards' centering feed past Halak with one second  remaining on a 5-on-3 advantage. Backes scored his third goal of the season, he didn't reach that mark until the 20th game last season, by snapping a wrist shot from the top of the right circle between Biron's pads 5:11 into the second period for a 2-1 Blues lead. Roy skated from his blue line and unloaded a slap shot from the high slot, beating Biron stick side at 12:44 to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead. Richards came back and converted a Blues turnover when Roy had the puck picked in his zone, and Richards converted a rebound of a Derick Brassard shot to slice the Blues' lead to one at 3-2 with 3:04 left in the second. But Backes got his fourth of the season, he scored his fourth in the 35th game last season, when he redirected Oshie's shot towards the net with 1:33 left in the second for a 4-2 Blues lead in a period the Blues felt like wasn't their best but were opportunistic on five shots. They scored on three of them and Biron's night was done. Callahan picked up his second of the game 2:54 into the third when he was able to redirect a puck that caromed into the air above the net and somehow bounce past Halak in traffic to cut the Blues' lead to 4-3. Vladimir Tarasenko restored the Blues' two-goal lead again when Roy won a faceoff off a power play and got it to Shattenkirk, who fed Tarasenko for a snap shot from the high slot past Lundqvist at 10:42 for a 5-3 lead. It was Tarasenko's third goal in as many games.

NY Islanders v Nashville 2-3 - Ryan Ellis' goal 3:23 into the third period broke a 2-2 tie. Ellis blasted a 60-foot slap shot that appeared to hit Nabokov's stick and went into the net. New York, which got second-period goals by Frans Nielsen and John Tavares, hasn't won at Bridgestone Arena in its last six visits, dating to a 5-2 victory on April 11, 2002. That's also the last time the Islanders have beaten the Predators in regulation. The Islanders, coming off a 3-2 road loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, generated just four shots on goal in the opening period and attempted only nine. But while the Predators had nine shots and 23 attempts, they managed few good scoring chances. Their best opportunity came at 13:45 when Nabokov robbed Craig Smith from the slot after a perfect passout from Matt Cullen left him wide-open. Neither team had a power play in the opening 20 minutes, but Nashville capitalized after Casey Cizikas was called for boarding 15 seconds into the second period. New York had managed all of five shots on goal through the midway point of the game, but coach Jack Capuano shook up his lines and the changes worked. Kyle Okposo, dropped temporarily to the second line, made a feed from the right half-wall to the slot to Nielsen, who wristed a shot that beat Rinne to the top far corner for his second of the season. Okposo was instrumental in the go-ahead goal at 15:28. He controlled the puck in the Nashville zone, drove into the slot and dished to Tavares in the left circle. Tavares' pass attempt was blocked, but he grabbed the loose puck and banked a shot off Rinne's pad and into the net for his third of the season. Nashville pulled even 52.8 seconds before intermission when Colin Wilson's pass sprung Hornqvist down the right wing in transition. Nabokov came out to cut down the angle, but Hornqvist fired before the goaltender could get set and scored his first of the season with a shot through the five-hole.
Ottawa v San Jose 2-3 - The Sharks and Senators entered the third period tied 2-2, but Burns scored at 7:08, putting San Jose in front for good. Burns took a pass in front of the net from Thornton and ripped a shot past Senators goaltender Robin Lehner from point-blank range. San Jose killed off a penalty late in the third and survived a furious Senators attack over the final minute-plus after they pulled their goaltender to win a physical and intense game against an Eastern Conference foe they hadn't played since Jan. 19, 2012. Hertl scored his NHL-high seventh goal of the season 55 seconds into the game, but he was hurt with just over two minutes left in the second period in a collision with Clarke MacArthur. Hertl left the ice and did not return to the game. He was bent over with his head down, battling for a puck, when he and MacArthur collided. Marleau scored a power play goal in the second period, his fourth goal of the season, and Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi stopped 21 of 23 shots. Zack Smith and former Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan scored goals for the Senators (1-1-2). Lehner, Ottawa's backup goalie, made his first start of the season and stopped 47 of 50 shots. He also received a four minute high-sticking penalty midway through the third period when he made contact with Burns' face, knocking out some teeth and drawing blood. The Sharks took a quick 1-0 lead when Hertl knocked a rebound past Lehner from close range. Lehner stopped Dan Boyle's shot from near the blue line but couldn't control the puck, and Hertl made him pay with his seventh goal of the season. Ottawa pulled even at 15:21 on Smith's goal from the slot. Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin tried to clear the puck from in front of the crease, but he sent it right to Smith, who was barreling in toward the goal. Chris Phillips and Colin Greening got the assists. The Senators took a 2-1 lead at 17:58 when Ryan scored a power-play goal with Andrew Desjardins in the penalty box for high sticking. Spezza sent a cross-ice pass from near the lower left boards to Ryan in the right circle. Ryan beat Niemi with a laser that snuck inside the right post for his second goal of the season. The Sharks made it 2-2 at 16:12 of the second period on Marleau's power-play goal with Milan Michalek in the penalty box for tripping Logan Couture. Irwin fired a shot from the left circle and the puck rebounded off a mass of bodies in front of the net to a wide-open Marleau, who beat Lehner from the right circle for his fourth goal of the season. Couture was shaken up during that goal when Senators defenseman Jared Cowen knocked him backwards and on to the ice. Before the second period ended, Hertl was in the dressing room, and fellow rookie Matt Nieto was promoted to the top line with Thornton and Burns. Nieto got an assist on Burns' goal.